ac·ne (?k?n?)n. An inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin that is marked by the eruption of pimples or pustules, especially on the face.[New Latin, probably from misreading of Greek akm?, point, facial eruption; see acme.]ac?ned adj.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.acne (?ækn?) n (Medicine) Also called: acne vulgaris a chronic skin disease common in adolescence, involving inflammation of the sebaceous glands and characterized by pustules on the face, neck, and upper trunk. See also rosacea[C19: New Latin, from a misreading of Greek akm? eruption on the face. See acme]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014ac?ne (?æk ni) n. any of various inflammatory skin eruptions involving breakdown of sebum from the sebaceous glands and characterized by pimples on the face, neck, and upper back. [1820?30;