prickly heat
1
7.0
- noun
- /ˈprɪkli hit/
- UK
:
sarpullido
- After playing outside for too long, he noticed prickly heat developing on his arms.
- get prickly heat
Examples
-
I thought it was prickly heat, but it's not, she says, and lifts up her arm.
Fiction book (1995) -
During the hot summer days, many people suffer from prickly heat due to sweating.
-
Children are more likely to develop prickly heat when they wear heavy clothing in humid weather.
Synonyms
128
2.7
A group of red spots on the skin caused by illness or allergy
4
3.0
A red, itchy area on the skin that may have spots or bumps
1
3.5
A skin irritation with small red bumps that appears when it is hot and humid
A skin rash of small itchy spots caused by blocked sweat pores in hot weather
Antonyms
How Itchy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is a straightforward descriptive compound: 'prickly' denotes a stinging/tingling sensation and 'heat' denotes high temperature, so a learner who knows both words can infer a heat‑related skin irritation producing prickling. This follows a common cause+symptom composition and is cross‑linguistically recognizable, making the meaning accessible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Prickly heat gets its name from the feeling it causes: hot, humid weather makes tiny, itchy bumps that make the skin feel prickly and hot. So, prickly heat means 'a small, itchy skin rash' you get in hot, humid weather.