pockmarked

Pockmarked is an adjective describing a surface or skin marked by pocks—small pits or scars. The term comes from the noun pock, historically used to denote lesions caused by pox diseases. A pockmark is a round depression left on the skin after a lesion heals, and the adjective applies to such marks whether on skin or on a surface.

In medical contexts, pockmarked describes people whose skin bears scars from pox diseases, most notably smallpox. The phrase emphasizes the permanent nature of the scarring. While descriptive, it can carry stigmatizing or pathologizing connotations in some historical or social contexts.

In geology and marine science, pockmark refers to crater-like depressions on the seafloor or lake bed. These features are typically formed by the venting of gas or fluids from beneath the sediment, and they may be circular or irregular in shape. Pockmarks vary in size and depth and can indicate subsurface activity, such as methane seepage or hydrocarbon processes. The term can also be used for land surfaces that appear pitted due to erosion, mining, or wear, producing a pockmarked road, field, or brickwork.

Figuratively, pockmarked is used to describe things visibly marked by numerous blemishes or faults, such as a pockmarked landscape or a document with many errors. The word preserves a neutral descriptive sense in scientific usage but can convey negative connotations in everyday language.