dander
1 Americannoun
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loose scales formed on the skin and shed from the coat or feathers of various animals, often causing allergic reactions in susceptible persons.
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Informal. anger; temper.
Don't get your dander up over such a trifle.
noun
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Scot. a stroll; saunter.
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British Dialect. a fit of shivering.
noun
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small particles or scales of hair or feathers
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informal to become or to cause someone to become annoyed or angry
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of dander1
First recorded in 1825–35; alteration of dandruff
Origin of dander2
First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain
Explanation
Dander is an animal's tiny flakes of skin. People who are allergic to cats are typically sensitive to their dander. Furry animals shed both hair and microscopic dander — and it's more common to be allergic to the dander. If you have dog allergies, your body overreacts to breathing in the dander of your best friend's chihuahua, making you sneeze. Another kind of dander is an angry or frustrated feeling, which shows up in the phrase "get your dander up." You might say, "My dander was up from the minute he made that offensive joke."
Vocabulary lists containing dander
"St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" by Karen Russell
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Moon Over Manifest
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Dark Water Rising
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If France get their dander up then the atmosphere in this stadium will be absolutely electric.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2024
“Dust, pet dander and other types of particulate matter may contain bacteria, viruses and mold spores, which can grow inside the filter,” Zhao says.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023
Then maybe, just maybe, you could put in for the difference between the price of the humdrum machine and the price of the dandier dander remover.
From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2022
When a human experiences an allergic reaction to the dander produced by a dog or cat, it is because of a protein produced by that specific animal.
From Salon • Oct. 23, 2022
“It was just a little something Mrs. Larkin and I cooked up while having polite conversation. It really gets her dander up when someone insults the late Eugene Larkin.”
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
