permatan

Etymology

From perma- + tan.

Why this word is great

PERMATAN — [Noun] A perpetual or long-lasting tan, as if etched into the skin by time rather than sun. From perma- ("permanent") + tan ("suntan"). Unlike "suntan" (which fades with the seasons) or "spray tan" (which sloughs off in streaks after a week), a permatan is the body’s own stubborn archive of sunlight—a leathery patina on a retiree’s forearms, the deep bronze of a fisherman’s neck, or the golden-brown hue of a lifelong gardener’s hands, weathered beyond the reach of winter. It is the body’s way of remembering what the mind forgets: all those lost summers, baked into the skin like a fossil.

noun

  1. A perpetual tan.“His permatan, and his vanity, were his weakness. I needed a picture of him, and it needed to be as unflattering as possible. Moving my train of thought on a bit, I reasoned that he must also be a lover of natural sunbathing.”