scar (scar)

noun

• 1a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed: a faint scar ran the length of his left cheek
• a lasting effect of grief, fear, or other emotion left on a person’s character by an unpleasant experience: the attack has left mental scars on Terry and his family
• a mark left on something following damage of some kind: Max could see scars of the blast
• a mark left at the point of separation of a leaf, frond, or other part from a plant: this fossil bark is typified by its lozenge-shaped leaf scars

• 2a steep high cliff or rock outcrop, especially of limestone: high limestone scars bordered the road

  [ Middle English: from Old Norse sker 'low reef']

verb (scars, scarring, scarred)

• mark with a scar or scars: he is likely to be scarred for life after injuries to his face, arms, and legs (as adjective, in combination -scarred) battle-scarred troops
• [no object] form or be marked with a scar: his arm will not scar such lung scarring is associated with cigarette smoking