‖ nævus Path.
(ˈniːvəs)
Also (chiefly U.S.) nevus. Pl. nævi (ˈniːvaɪ).
[L.]
A hypertrophied state of the blood-vessels of the skin, forming spots or elevations of a red or purplish colour, usually congenital; a mother's mark, a mole. nævus needle, a surgical needle for removing a nævus (Knight 1884).
| [1693 tr. Blancard's Phys. Dict. (ed. 2), Nævi, Moles, certain native Spots, and are Two-fold, either plain, or protuberant. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Nævus, a Mole, a natural Mark or Spot in the Body.] 1835–6 Todd's Cycl. Anat. I. 242/2 If the common mole be admitted under this class of nævi. Ibid. 243/1 The..characteristic of the third form of nævus. 1876 Duhring Dis. Skin 41 Permanent vascular growths in the skin, as nævi. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 826 A nævus is a new growth consisting of a congeries of dilated freely communicating vessels, held together by connective tissue. 1913 Jrnl. Amer. Med. Assoc. 1 Feb. 341/1 (heading) Melanotic sarcomas resulting from irritation of pigmented nevi. 1961 R. D. Baker Essent. Path. xx. 545 The word nevus has been used to designate skin blemishes of various sorts including ‘birthmarks’, but in current usage nevus means the ordinary mole of the skin. 1971 Brit. Med. Bull. XXVII. 69/1 Trivial congenital defects such as..pigmented or vascular naevi. |