pocked
UK[pɒkt]US[pɑːkt]
adj
Covered with small hollow marks or holes, as if from disease or damage.
Morpheme Breakdown
pock
ed
pock
mark
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'pocked' originates from the Middle English noun 'pokke', which referred to a pustule, blister, or the mark left by one, most famously associated with smallpox. This noun traces back to Proto-Germanic puk-, meaning a swelling or bag. The adjectival suffix '-ed' is added to the noun 'pock' to create a descriptive term meaning 'marked by or having pocks'. Thus, the literal construction 'having pocks' evolved into the modern abstract adjective describing any surface, not just skin, that is pitted or scarred with small hollows reminiscent of such disease marks.
Analysis
Structure: pock (mark) + ed (adjective suffix)
- pock: From Middle English 'pokke', meaning a pustule or skin lesion. Ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root.
- ed: An English suffix forming adjectives from nouns or verbs, indicating 'having the quality of' or 'characterized by'.
Examples
The pocked surface of the moon is visible through a telescope.
Years of weathering had left the stone wall pocked and eroded.
His face was badly pocked from a childhood illness.