allergy
nounUK [ˈæl.ə.dʒi] · US [ˈæl.ɚ.d͡ʒi]
Etymology Borrowed from German Allergie. Coined by Austrian pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet in 1906 from Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos, “other”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work, activity”), on the model of Energie.
Immunology, Medicine, Sciences Broadly A disorder of the immune system causing adverse reactions to substances (allergens) not harmful to most and marked by the body's production of histamines and associated with atopy, anaphylaxis, and asthma; any condition of hypersensitivity to a substance.
- My dad can't live with pets because of an allergy.
Immunology, Medicine, Sciences Broadly Specifically, hypersensitivity of class I in the modern classification thereof: the immunoglobulin E–mediated type.
Figuratively, Informal An antipathy, as toward a person or activity.
- He has an allergy to reality TV.
- Synonyms
- type 1 hypersensitivity, intolerance
- Derived terms
27 terms
aeroallergy, allergen, allergic, allergin, allergist, allergoid, allergologist, allergology, allergylike, allergy salute, alpha-gal allergy, antiallergy, autoallergy, cold allergy, food allergy, lone-star-tick meat allergy, mammalian meat allergy, nonallergy, oral allergy syndrome, photoallergy, polyallergy, pseudoallergy, red meat allergy, tick-induced meat allergy, tick meat allergy, total allergy syndrome, water allergy- Hypernyms
- hypersensitivity