noun
allergy
AL-uh-jee
noun
1
A condition in which the immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance, causing symptoms such as sneezing, rashes, or swelling.
"His allergy to pollen gets worse every spring."
"The school keeps a list of children with food allergies."
2
A strong dislike or aversion, used figuratively.
"He has a real allergy to paperwork."
How to Use Allergy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn oversensitive immune reaction to something ordinarily harmless, like pollen, nuts, or pet hair.
Common pairings
food allergy
severe allergy
develop an allergy
trigger an allergy
Word Forms
allergies plural
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His _____ to pollen gets worse every spring.
Etymology
Coined in 1906 by the Austrian doctor Clemens von Pirquet, combining Greek allos ("other") and ergon ("work, reaction") to describe the immune system reacting abnormally.