dandruff

[ dan-druhf ]
See synonyms for dandruff on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a seborrheic scurf that forms on the scalp and comes off in small scales.

Origin of dandruff

1
First recorded in 1535–45; origin uncertain
  • Also dan·driff [dan-drif]. /ˈdæn drɪf/.

Other words from dandruff

  • dan·druff·y, dan·driff·y, adjective

Words Nearby dandruff

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dandruff in a sentence

  • Head & Shoulders is known as a leader behind shampoos to combat dandruff and dryness.

  • dandruff or milk crust which is often seen on young babies'334 scalps has been described in detail elsewhere.

    The Mother and Her Child | William S. Sadler
  • He looked more the fashionable club man than ever, though he did have a slight sprinkling of dandruff on his coat collar.

    Tramping on Life | Harry Kemp
  • The dandruff which detaches from the skin within the escutcheon of the first order is yellowish or copperish color.

    Soil Culture | J. H. Walden
  • dandruff may cause a loss of hair; if it does, the hairs come out clean, while in ringworm they break off near the scalp.

  • I never fully enjoyed the taste of equine dandruff, and the eternal smell of manure irked me, especially at the table.

British Dictionary definitions for dandruff

dandruff

/ (ˈdændrəf) /


noun
  1. loose scales of dry dead skin shed from the scalp: Also called (now rarely): dandriff

Origin of dandruff

1
C16: dand-, of unknown origin + -ruff, probably from Middle English roufe scab, from Old Norse hrūfa

Derived forms of dandruff

  • dandruffy, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012