Home UK English sebum

Meaning of sebum in English:

sebum

Pronunciation /ˈsiːbəm/

noun

mass noun

  • An oily secretion of the sebaceous glands.

    ‘Testosterone causes excessive sebum to be secreted from the skin's sebaceous glands.’
    • ‘The glands remain immature until puberty, and it is the secretion of sebum that is associated with pubertal acne.’
    • ‘The oily sebum rises up through the hair follicle, providing lubrication for your skin and hair.’
    • ‘Excessive sebum production secondary to sebaceous gland hyperplasia is the first abnormality to occur.’
    • ‘The hormones can cause the glands to make too much sebum.’

Origin

Late 19th century modern Latin, from Latin sebum ‘grease’.