A small, flat, brownish spot on the skin, usually appearing on people with fair skin exposed to the sun.
From Old Norse 'freknur' meaning 'freckles.' The word came to English through Scandinavian traders. The spots are caused by concentrated melanin in response to sun exposure.
Freckles were once considered beauty flaws in Victorian times, and people actually used harsh chemicals to remove them—now they're fashionable again, showing how the same skin feature can be celebrated or rejected based on trends.
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