allergy JUST WRITTEN FOR YOU
/ˈæl.ə.dʒi/ · al.ər.gy
noun
- A disorder of the immune system causing adverse reactions to substances (allergens) not harmful to most and marked by the body's production of histamines and associated with atopy, anaphylaxis, and asthma. She had a severe allergy to peanuts and had to carry an EpiPen with her at all times.
- Any condition of hypersensitivity to a substance. The doctor warned her about the allergy she had developed to certain antibiotics.
- Altered susceptibility to a first treatment as exhibited in reaction to a subsequent one. The patient's allergy to the medication made it difficult for her to undergo further treatment.
Did you know? The term 'allergy' was first used to describe a reaction to a vaccine, not a substance in food or the environment.