ENGLISH
REFERENCE

welt

n.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈwɛɫt// UK //wˈɛlt// welt Archaic Dialect

n. a small, raised bump on your skin that looks like a tiny hill. It is usually caused by a blow or a sting.

n. a small, raised, often painful swelling on the skin, typically resulting from a blow or a sting. Often used in medical or informal contexts to describe a localized reaction.


SIMPLE

He had a welt on his arm from the mosquito bite.

CONTEXTUAL

The doctor examined the welt on the patient's leg to determine if it was a result of an allergic reaction or a physical injury.

COMPLEX

The hikers returned from the trail with several welts on their arms, evidence of their encounter with the local insect population.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English welten, from Old English weltan, wieltan, from Proto-Germanic waltijaną, from Proto-Indo-European wel- (“to turn; wind; twist”). Cognate with German wälzen, Danish vælte, Swedish välta, Icelandic velta.

Etymology 2

Circa 1425, a shoemaker's term. Perhaps related to Middle English welten (“to overturn, roll over”), from Old Norse velta (“to roll”). Meaning "ridge on the skin from a wound" first recorded 1800.

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