noun
allergy
AL-ur-jee/ˈælərdʒi/
An immune response to a normally harmless substance.
One raised red patch on her forearm reveals an allergy during testing.
Etymology
“Different activity” captures the idea behind the name: the immune system reacts abnormally to a substance that is ordinarily harmless.
In context
may occur but not all reactions are allergic majority of the reactions are reactogenic and reactogenic reactions are not the same as allergic reactions so what is an allergy an allergy is an exaggerated immune response
More examples
- The clinic asks about medication allergies before the appointment.
- His allergy to pollen returns each spring.
- She jokes that she has an allergy to unnecessary meetings.
Forms
allergy · allergies
allergic adjective — Having or relating to an allergic response.
Similar words
- sensitivity
- Broader; does not necessarily involve an allergic immune response.
- aversion
- Describes strong dislike rather than a medical immune reaction.