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stretch mark

stretch mark

13 3.7
A narrow line on the skin that appears after fast weight gain or pregnancy
  • noun
  • /strɛtʃ mɑrk/
translation icon : estría
  • So So I got a lot of stretch marks during my pregnancy, especially on my hips.
  • get stretch marks
  • stretch marks on my belly
  • appearance of stretch marks

I really am trying to just avoid getting too many stretch marks during this pregnancy.

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Examples

  • Many women develop stretch marks during pregnancy due to skin expansion.

  • That means that stretch marks make you less beautiful.

  • If being covered in stretch marks means having a big healthy baby, then bring them on!

    Blog text (21)
  • I really am trying to just avoid getting too many stretch marks during this pregnancy.

  • My stomach is like a pile of bread dough covered in stretch marks from the pregnancies of my two boys.

    Blog text (4)
  • When the skin gets dry or sags with age, age spots, freckles, and stretch marks appear on your skin.

    Blog text (16)
  • Deanna leans back and lifts her shirt, exposing her hard belly, streaked with stretch marks that remind her of the stripes on a watermelon.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • After gaining weight quickly, he noticed stretch marks on his abdomen.

  • Most teenagers experience stretch marks as they grow rapidly during puberty.

Synonyms

mark
vsstretch mark
468 1.0

A visible line, spot, scratch, or stain on a surface

is a narrow streak on skin linked to rapid growth, weight gain, or pregnancy
line
vsstretch mark
105 3.5

A small fold that appears on skin or on other surfaces

is a narrow streak on skin from rapid growth or pregnancy, not a fold

How Noticeable

scar
427 1.0
stretch mark
13 3.7
hairline
14 4.1

Surface Forms

stretch mark singular
stretch marks plural

Morphology

stretch + mark

The compound meaning is directly compositional: a 'mark' resulting from 'stretch' — i.e., a visible line on skin caused by stretching. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common naming pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer.

Etymology

The phrase stretch mark comes from the simple picture of skin being pulled tight, where the stretch leaves a thin mark on the surface. So, it now means the 'narrow lines' you get on the skin after quick growth, weight gain, or pregnancy.