sebaceous cyst
1
4.2
- noun
- /sɪˈbeɪʃəs sɪst/
- Specialized
:
quiste sebáceo
- During the check-up, the doctor confirmed that I have a sebaceous cyst on my arm.
Examples
-
Here, did I give you this pamphlet on sebaceous cysts?
Fiction book (1996) -
Sebaceous cysts are located intradermally, and they do not involve the underlying bone.
Academic text (2008) -
A sebaceous cyst can appear anywhere on the body, often on the scalp or back.
-
When properly cared for, sebaceous cysts are usually harmless, but they can become infected if not treated.
Synonyms
61
3.6
A small swelling under the skin that feels like a bump
30
4.9
A small sac in the body often filled with fluid
1
9.9
A small soft lump under the skin filled with fat
A small lump on the skin that holds oily material from a blocked oil gland
A small lump on the scalp filled with oil from a blocked skin gland
A small lump under the skin that is usually harmless and made from skin cells
A small white bump on the skin when an oil gland becomes blocked
A small painless lump on the eyelid caused by a blocked oil gland
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'sebaceous' (related to oily/greasy substances) modifies 'cyst' (an abnormal, often fluid-filled structure), so a learner who knows both words can infer a cyst containing oily/greasy material under the skin. The same lexical logic exists in many languages (e.g., Spanish 'quiste sebáceo'), so the relation is predictable rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
Sebaceous cyst is named for what it is: sebaceous refers to 'sebum', the oily stuff the skin makes, and cyst means a small 'sac' or 'lump'. So the term describes a usually harmless 'lump' under the skin.