Definition of DANDER

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How did "dander" acquire its "temper" sense? Etymologists have come up with a few possibilities, but nothing is known for sure. Some experts have proposed, tongue-in-cheek, that the meaning stems from the image of an angry person tearing out his or her hair by the fistful, scattering dandruff in the process. Some think it may come from a West Indian word dander, which refers to a kind of ferment and suggests "rising" anger (in English, "ferment" can mean either "an agent capable of causing fermentation" or "a state of unrest or excitement"). Yet another proposed possibility is that the anger sense was imported to America by early Dutch colonists and is from their phrase op donderen, meaning "to burst into a sudden rage."

Examples of dander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In some individuals, IgE mistakenly attacks foreign substances that are actually harmless, such as foods, pollen, and animal dander. — Shelby Deering, Good Housekeeping, "Skipping Spring Cleaning Can Make Allergies and Asthma Much Worse, According to Doctors," 22 Mar. 2019 If someone has asthma, their immune system reacts disproportionately to certain substances like pet dander or pollen, though specific triggers vary from person to person. — Korin Miller, SELF, "7 People Describe What an Asthma Attack Actually Feels Like," 14 Nov. 2018 Washing your bedding will cut down on potential allergens like dust mites and pet dander than can trigger congestion, sneezing, and obstructed breathing and in turn, poor sleep, Dr. Rosen says. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "15 Ways to Sleep Better Tonight, According to Experts," 2 May 2019 Common triggers behind this include pollen, dust mites, animal dander, cold air, smoke, exercise, and more. — Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, "Is Your Chest Pain Physical or Mental?," 14 Nov. 2018 Allergens, pollutants, and pet dander, can lead to health issues, and a simple solution is using an air purifier. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Air Purifier for a Breath of Fresh Air," 16 Oct. 2018 The promise of an air purifier is an enticing one: An appliance designed to cleanse the air in your home, getting rid of all the impurities including odors, smoke, dust, and pet dander. — Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, "Do Air Purifiers Actually Work?," 17 Dec. 2018 Common ones include pollen, dust mites, mold, pet dander, respiratory infections like the common cold, cold air, exercise, smoke, and stress, according to the Mayo Clinic. — Korin Miller, SELF, "7 Life Rules People With Asthma Should Always Follow," 18 Oct. 2018 This air purifier is specifically designed to remove pet odor and dander from your home. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Air Purifier for a Breath of Fresh Air," 16 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dander.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.