Word of the Day

: February 28, 2007

alopecia

noun al-uh-PEE-shuh

What It Means

: loss of hair, wool, or feathers : baldness

alopecia in Context

My cousin Amelia recently donated ten inches of her hair to an organization that makes wigs for children who suffer from alopecia.

Did You Know?

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."