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atopy - 5 dictionary results

at⋅o⋅py

  [at-uh-pee]
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–noun
an allergy, involving an inherited immunoglobulin of the IgE type, that predisposes a person to certain allergic responses, as atopic dermatitis.
Origin:
1920–25; < Gk atopía extraordinariness, equiv. to átop(os) out of place, unusual (see a- 6 , topo- ) + -ia -y 3
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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a·top·ic   (ā-tŏp'ĭk)   
adj.  Of, relating to, or caused by a hereditary predisposition toward developing certain hypersensitivity reactions, such as hay fever, asthma, or chronic urticaria, upon exposure to specific antigens: atopic dermatitis.

[From Greek atopiā, unusualness, from atopos, out of the way : a-, not; see a-1 + topos, place.]
at'o·py (āt'ə-pē) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Main Entry: at·o·py
Pronunciation: 'at-&-pE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -pies
: a probably hereditary allergycharacterized by symptoms (as asthma, hay fever, or hives) produced upon exposure to the exciting antigen without inoculation
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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atopy at·o·py (āt'ə-pē)
n.
A hereditary disorder marked by the tendency to develop immediate allergic reactions to substances such as pollen, food, dander, and insect venoms and manifested by hay fever, asthma, or similar allergic conditions. Also called atopic allergy.

a·top'ic (ā-tŏp'ĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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atopy

type of hypersensitivity characterized by an immediate physiological reaction, with movement of fluid from the blood vessels into the tissues, upon exposure to an allergen. Atopy occurs mainly in persons with a familial tendency to allergic diseases; reaginic antibodies are found in the skin and serum of atopic persons. Atopy may be contrasted with the condition called delayed hypersensitivity, in which allergic symptoms take hours or days to develop. See also allergy.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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