Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Contemporary (2000–) ·2020
Maskne
mask acne
- Meaning
- Acne caused or worsened by wearing a face mask.
- Source words
- mask + acne
- Coined by
- US dermatology press
- Year
- 2020
Background
Dermatologists used the word in trade journals within weeks of mask mandates. Consumer cosmetics companies launched *maskne* product lines by mid-2020; a portmanteau that became a product category in under three months.
Contemporary (2000–)
Faster coinage, faster canonisation. Brexit and podcast both reached the OED within a decade of first use — historically rapid. Social media has made visibility, not invention, the rate-limiting step.
Two words, one coinage.
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