atopy

[ at-uh-pee ]

noun

1. an allergy, involving an inherited immunoglobulin of the IgE type, that predisposes a person to certain allergic responses, as atopic dermatitis.

atopy

/ ˈætəʊpɪ /

noun

1. immunol a hereditary tendency to be hypersensitive to certain allergens

Word History and Origins

Origin of atopy¹

1920–25; < Greek atopía extraordinariness, equivalent to átop ( os ) out of place, unusual ( a- ⁶, topo- ) + -ia -y ³