What does naevus mean?
Naevus is a chiefly British medical noun for a congenital mark or lesion of the skin, most often a pigmented growth composed of melanocytes. In everyday English, such a lesion may be called a birthmark or a mole, although mole can also refer to acquired growths, and the medical term covers several types of lesion, including vascular naevi. Doctors use the word when describing the character, size, and changes of a lesion, and the familiar plural naevi is especially common in dermatology and in public discussion of melanoma. A naevus is usually benign, but appearance alone cannot always establish whether a pigmented lesion is harmless; atypical or changing lesions may require clinical assessment. Naevus has long been part of English medical vocabulary, borrowed from Latin. British spelling generally retains the Latin ae, while American medical usage normally writes nevus. The word is therefore less common in general prose than its everyday alternatives but remains precise in dermatology and related medical writing.
nounA congenital mark or lesion of the skin or adjacent tissue, especially one containing an excess of melanocytes. It is commonly called a birthmark and may also be described as a mole.
- A congenital mark or lesion of the skin or adjacent tissue, especially a pigmented lesion formed by an excess of melanocytes.
"The dermatologist explained that the small, evenly pigmented naevus was benign."
"A congenital naevus was noted at the base of the nostril during the newborn examination."
"The dermatology leaflet explains how a melanocytic naevus may change over time."
Naevi is the standard plural in British medical usage; naevuses is also accepted but less common.
"Multiple naevi were documented during the skin examination."
Naevus comes from Latin for a birthmark: Britain kept the ae, America dropped it, and medicine kept both.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does naevus come from?
Naevus was borrowed into English from Latin naevus, a medical term for a mole or congenital mark on the skin. The British form retained the ae of Latin spelling, while American usage generally adopted the simplified form nevus; the two are variant spellings of the same noun.
Related word forms
How naevus is actually used
This is primarily a clinical term rather than everyday vocabulary. In general British English, birthmark and mole are more familiar alternatives.
Easily confused with naevus
Nevus is the American spelling of the same medical term, not a different type of skin lesion.