welt

IPA/welt/
KK[wˈɛlt]IPA/welt/

welt — noun

  • weltsingular
  • weltsplural

1. A bump or swollen area, usually red in colour, that sticks up from the skin afte

1.nounB2
Definition

A bump or swollen area, usually red in colour, that sticks up from the skin after a person is hit, stung by an insect, or has an allergic reaction.

Example

A nettle bush brushed Zola's leg and a red welt stayed on her calf.

collocation: red welt / raised welt

The mosquito bite on Brooke's arm turned into an itchy welt that kept her awake.

Common collocations
  • red welt
  • raised welt
  • itchy welt
  • welt on + body part
  • leave a welt
  • welt from + cause
Synonyms
  • wheal

    Medical term for the same raised mark; used especially in allergy contexts.

  • weal

    Less common variant of 'wheal'; more often used of a mark from a whip or cane.

  • bruise

    Discoloured area under the skin from broken blood vessels, not raised like a welt.

Usage Note

Often appears with adjectives describing the cause (nettle welt, mosquito welt) or appearance (red welt, raised welt, itchy welt). Distinguish from bruise — a welt is raised above the skin surface, while a bruise is flat and discoloured under the skin.

Common Mistakes

A big bruise rose on his arm after a wasp stung him.
A big welt rose on his arm after a wasp stung him.
Stings and allergic reactions cause raised welts, not flat bruises.
The doctor said the red raised area was a welt on the skin.
The doctor said the red raised area was a welt.
'on the skin' is redundant since welts only occur on skin.

2. A raised or decorative line of stitching on a piece of clothing, used as a desig

2.nounC1
Definition

A raised or decorative line of stitching on a piece of clothing, used as a design detail or to strengthen the fabric.

Example

The tailor added a thick welt along the jacket collar for a cleaner finish.

collocation: thick welt + along [garment part]

Yuki noticed that the welt on her coat sleeve had come loose and needed repair.

Common collocations
  • thick welt
  • decorative welt
  • welt on + garment part
  • add a welt
  • stitch a welt
  • leather welt
Synonyms
  • piping

    A folded strip of fabric used as decoration along a seam or edge, similar but not identical to a welt.

  • trim

    A broader term for any decorative addition along a garment's edge.

Usage Note

Fashion-industry term. The noun sense is more common than the verb sense (add a welt). Often used with colour or material descriptors: leather welt, silk welt, contrasting welt.

welt — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Welt, wheal, and weal all describe raised marks on the skin, but differ in usage. Welt is the most common everyday term for any raised red mark from a blow, sting, or allergy — the word you would use in a general conversation ('a mosquito welt on my arm'). Wheal is the medical term used by doctors and on allergy test forms ('the injection produced a wheal 8 mm across'). Weal is a less common variant of wheal, often found in older writing or literature describing whip or cane marks ('weals from the lash'). Bruise is different from all three — a bruise is a flat, purple or blue discolouration caused by blood leaking under the skin after impact, rather than a raised bump. For example: a slap on the face may leave a red welt (raised) that fades to a bruise (flat, discoloured) the next day.

welt ↗whealweal ↗bruise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • leave a welt
  • raise a welt
  • add a welt
  • covered in welts

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

From Old English *welt*, which originally referred to a strip of leather used in shoemaking to join the sole to the upper. Over time, the word was extended to describe a raised strip or edge in sewing and tailoring, and later — by visual similarity — to a raised mark on the skin caused by a blow or sting.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb