reef rash
English
Noun
reef rash (countable and uncountable, plural reef rashes)
- (surfing) Scraping injury caused by falling on or being dragged over a reef. (Note this is an actual physical injury, not an inflammation like a normal rash.)
- 1999: I decided to show the lifeguards my reef rash. "It's just a scratch!" one of them chimed. — Neal Miyake
Usage notes
It is common to describe even serious injuries caused by a reef as "reef rash", as a form of humorous or macho understatement.