Small inflamed bumps on the skin, usually on the face, caused by blocked pores and bacteria; the plural of zit.
Originally American slang from the 1960s, possibly derived from 'eczema' or an onomatopoeia suggesting something small and sharp. The origin is uncertain, but it entered youth culture as a humorous term for pimples.
The word 'zits' is pure slang that became so universal teenagers worldwide use it without knowing it's informal—it shows how new words can bypass the dictionary gatekeepers and become 'official' through sheer popular use among young people.
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