keratolysis

[ker-uh-tol-uh-sis]

noun

1. the loosening or shedding of the horny layer of the epidermis.

2. Pathology.,  a skin disorder characterized by periodic shedding of the epidermis.

Other Word Forms

• keratolytic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of keratolysis¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; kerato- + -lysis

Example Sentences

There is a rare and curious condition known as "deciduous skin" or keratolysis, in which the owners possess a skin, which, like that of a serpent, is periodically cast off, that of the limbs coming off like the finger of a glove.

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