alopecia

noun

al·​o·​pe·​cia ˌa-lə-ˈpē-sh(ē-)ə 

: loss of hair, wool, or feathers

alopecic

ˌa-lə-ˈpē-sik 

adjective

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

In a 12-month low-level laser therapy trial published in Dermatologic Therapy, Shin and colleagues reported that 85 percent of users were satisfied with at-home laser therapy for androgenetic alopecia, with gains holding steady through week 48. — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026

Recent research confirms that hormonal factors lie at the heart of the most common forms of alopecia by disrupting the hair’s natural growth cycle. — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026

Male androgenetic alopecia — the most common form of hair loss in men — affects 30% to 50% of men by age 50, according to research published in the NIH’s Endotext database. — Jay Sparks, USA Today, 15 June 2026

Finasteride, which is commonly used for androgenetic alopecia; Spironolactone, which is used for female-pattern hair loss; and oral Minoxidil, a hair loss medication originally developed to treat high blood pressure, are not recommended, or should be used with caution, when breastfeeding. — Jillian Pretzel, Parents, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English allopicia, allopucia "hair loss," borrowed from Medieval Latin allōpicia, allōpitia "baldness, mange," going back to Latin alōpecia "bald patch on the head (from a skin disease)," borrowed from Greek alōpekía "bald spot" (Aristotle), "disease causing hair loss" (Galen), original sense perhaps "sarcoptic mange (affecting foxes and other canids)," from alōpek-, alṓpēx "fox" + -ia -ia entry 1; alṓpēx probably going back to dialectal Indo-European *h₂lōpeḱ-/*h₂lōpēḱ- "small canid, fox" (whence, besides Greek, Armenian ałuēs "fox") and *h₂leupēḱ- or *h₂loupēḱ- (whence Sanskrit lopāśáḥ "small canid [as a jackal or fox]," Middle Persian rōpās, rōpāh "fox," Khotanese rrūvāsa- "jackal," Ossetic (Iron dialect) rubas, ruvas "fox")

Note: An initial element *(h₂)lop-, close to the Greek, Armenian, and Indo-Iranian forms but with a short o, is apparently reflected in Celtic *lop-erno-, whence Old Welsh leuyrn, leuirn "foxes" (from *lou̯ern-ī with vowel affection; cf. Modern Welsh llewyrn, tân llewyrn "foxfire"), Breton louarn "fox," and Lithuanian lãpė "fox," Latvian lapsa. The long o in alṓpēx could perhaps be taken as a reflection of an original nominative *h₂lōp-s, but the diphthong in the Indo-Iranian etymon remains unexplained. The element *(h₂)lop- has been compared with *u̯l̥p- "small carnivore" proposed as the source of Latin vulpēs, volpēs "fox" (see vulpine), Lithuanian vilpišỹs "wildcat" and other words, but no unifying etymon can be readily reconstructed. If related, the set of "fox" forms are perhaps traces of a non-Indo-European Wanderwort acquired by Indo-European branches at different times and places.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alopecia

• perithecia
• zooecia

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Medical Definition

alopecia

noun

al·​o·​pe·​cia ˌal-ə-ˈpē-sh(ē-)ə 

: partial or complete loss of hair, wool, or feathers : baldness

alopecic

-ˈpē-sik 

adjective