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What is the origin of alopecia?
Doctors use "alopecia" to refer to various forms of hair loss, including "alopecia areata," a sudden loss of hair in patches that involves little or no inflammation. It may surprise you to learn that the word ultimately derives from "alōpēx," the Greek word for "fox," but the connection makes sense if you think of a fox who is afflicted with mange, a disease with symptoms that include, among other things, loss of hair. Middle English speakers borrowed the Latin word alopecia, which comes from "alōpekia," a Greek term that can be translated as "mange on foxes."
Examples of alopecia in a Sentence
Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
The line about the autoimmune disorder was, in fact, inspired by the infamous Oscars slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock, after Rock insulted Jada Pinkett-Smith’s alopecia.
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Reinhart did not say whether her alopecia was directly caused by her mental health issue, but the two are sometimes related.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 Jan. 2024
The drugs also made it on the radar of U.S. health agencies, motivating the Food and Drug Administration to list suicidal ideation, along with alopecia and aspiration, as serious risks when taking the ubiquitous diabetes and weight loss medications.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
Note: Some cases may cause widespread hair loss including total baldness (alopecia totalis) and loss of all body hair (alopecia universalis).
—Heather L. Brannon, Md, Verywell Health, 27 Jan. 2024
Early signs of alopecia typically begin with bumps on the scalp or hair loss at the beginning of the hairline.
—Celeste Polanco, Essence, 18 Jan. 2024
Doctors have also noted the higher number of patients who reported alopecia in Eli Lilly's trials of tirzepatide for obesity.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2024
Together with her sister, Pamela Shaddock, who has traction alopecia, the duo founded Coils to Locs, which provides highly textured wigs through cancer centers, hospitals, and medical hair loss salons.
—Nafeesah Allen, Health, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alopecia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Alopecia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alopecia. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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alopecia
noun
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