alopecia

American  

[al-uh-pee-shee-uh, -see-uh] / ˌæl əˈpi ʃi ə, -si ə /

noun

Pathology.

1. loss of hair; baldness.

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alopecia British  

/ ˌæləˈpiːʃɪə /

noun

1. loss of hair, esp on the head; baldness

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alopecia Scientific  

/ ăl′ə-pē′shə /

1. Loss of hair; baldness.

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Other Word Forms

• alopecic adjective

Etymology

Origin of alopecia

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek alōpekía “mange in foxes,” equivalent to alōpek- (stem of alṓpēx ) “fox” + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

On Sunday night, Rock took the Oscar’s stage to present the award for best documentary feature and made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith and her alopecia.

From Salon

Salon dug into the full context of Rock’s history mocking Pinkett Smith, her condition of alopecia and possibly even Rock’s own issues.

From Salon

They concurred that the quip about “G. I. Jane,” in reference to Ms. Pinkett-Smith’s very dignified and public experiences with alopecia, was triggering and unfit for the Oscars.

From Salon

Pinkett Smith then pivoted to the main topic of the “Red Table Talk” episode: alopecia — an autoimmune disorder that causes significant hair loss in people, including Pinkett Smith.

From Salon

There are several forms of hair loss, the most common being androgenetic alopecia, or male- or female-pattern hair loss.

From MarketWatch