pimple

Early Modern English pimple, pumple, from Middle English pymple, pympyl, of uncertain origin but probably a nasalized variant of Old English *pipel, *pypel, from Old English piplian, pyplian (“to break out in pimples, show eruptions”), probably related to Latin papula (“pimple, pustule”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pap- (“pock mark, nipple”)). Akin to Old English pipliġende (“having shingles”).

• enPR: pĭm'p(ə)l, IPA^(key): /ˈpɪmp(ə)l/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɪmpəl

pimple (plural pimples)

1. (dermatology) An inflamed (raised and colored) spot on the surface of the skin that is usually painful and fills with pus.

   I had to pop that embarrassing pimple, it was huge and red and on the tip of my nose.

2. (slang) An annoying person.

   He's such a pimple! I wish he'd stop being so irritating!

3. (Cockney rhyming slang) Scotch (whisky)

   Synonym: pimple and blotch

• acker (old Australian slang)
• acne
• pustule
• spot (UK, slang)
• plook (Scottish)
• zit (US, slang)

• blackhead
• whitehead

pimple (third-person singular simple present pimples, present participle pimpling, simple past and past participle pimpled)

1. To develop pimples

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

pimple

1. inflection of pimplar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative