# wen

/ˈwɛn/ (US) · /wˈɛn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wen
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a skin growth

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a small, painless lump or cyst on the skin.

For teachers: a sebaceous cyst or benign tumorous growth on the skin, typically on the scalp or face.

- The old man in the story had a large wen on the side of his neck.
- The physician noted a prominent wen on the patient's scalp, though it appeared to be a benign sebaceous cyst rather than anything more serious.

Usage: Usually refers to a visible, external lump.

Teaching tip: This word is rarely used in modern conversation; students will mostly encounter it in 19th-century literature or historical medical texts.

## Examples

- The old man had a small wen on his forehead.
- The doctor examined the wen behind the patient's ear and confirmed it was a harmless cyst.
- In his nineteenth-century travelogues, William Cobbett famously referred to London as 'the Great Wen', viewing the rapidly expanding metropolis as a parasitic growth upon the English countryside.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.