Definition of allergy
allergies
1 : altered bodily reactivity (such as hypersensitivity) to an antigen in response to a first exposure a bee venom allergy so severe that a second sting may be fatal
2 : exaggerated or pathological immunological reaction (as by sneezing, difficult breathing, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states that are without comparable effect on the average individual
3 : medical practice concerned with allergies
4 : a feeling of antipathy or aversion
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Examples of allergy in a Sentence
Many people have some form of allergy.
independent-minded people who seem to have an allergy to any control from the government
Recent Examples of allergy from the Web
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Moe says that most homeowners need professional carpet cleaning at least annually − as often as every 6 months if pets, crawling babies or toddlers, or allergies or respiratory sensitivities are present.
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ClostraBio, a preclinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapies for patients with life-threatening allergies, won fourth place and $40,000.
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American taxpayers may have been overcharged by as much as $1.27 billion over a decade for the anti-allergy device EpiPen, a U.S. senator said Wednesday.
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CVS is now selling a rival, generic version of EpiPen at about a sixth of the price of the brand-name version of the lifesaving allergy treatment.
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Other medicines, including over-the-counter allergy medicine or anti-anxiety medicines, can also cause drowsiness and include warnings about driving.
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The friends of the Los Angeles fifth-grader who alerted him to the nuts in his lunch container were later recognized at a school awards assembly that included a talk on food allergies and bullying.
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Some national allergy to protecting government secrets?
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Schoolchildren developed strange rashes and vague, unexplained allergies.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allergy'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of allergy
German Allergie, from all- + Greek ergon work — more at work
First Known Use: 1908
ALLERGY Defined for English Language Learners
allergy
playDefinition of allergy for English Language Learners
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: a medical condition that causes someone to become sick after eating, touching, or breathing something that is harmless to most people
ALLERGY Defined for Kids
allergy
playDefinition of allergy for Students
allergies
: a condition in which a person is made sick by something that is harmless to most people
Medical Dictionary
allergy
playMedical Definition of allergy
allergies
1: altered bodily reactivity (as hypersensitivity) to an antigen in response to a first exposure his bee-venom allergy may render a second sting fatal
2: exaggerated or pathological reaction (as by sneezing, respiratory embarrassment, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states that are without comparable effect on the average individual
3: medical practice concerned with allergies
Learn More about allergy
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for allergy Spanish Central: Translation of allergy Nglish: Translation of allergy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of allergy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about allergy
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