vitiligo

[vit-l-ahy-goh, -ee-goh]

noun

Pathology.

1. a skin disorder characterized by smooth, white patches on various parts of the body, caused by the loss of the natural pigment.

vitiligo

/ ˌvɪtɪˈlaɪɡəʊ /

noun

1. another name for leucoderma

Other Word Forms

• vitiliginous adjective
• vitiligoid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vitiligo¹

1650–60; < Latin vitilīgō form of skin eruption, apparently equivalent to *vitil ( is ) defective ( vit ( ium ) blemish + -ilis -ile ) + -īgō noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of vitiligo¹

C17: from Latin: a skin disease, probably from vitium a blemish

Example Sentences

The Fashionistas series also includes dolls with vitiligo, prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs.

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The Einzigers also collaborated with Dr. Pearl Grimes, director of the Vitiligo & Pigmentation Institute of Southern California, who specializes in vitiligo and pigmentation disorders.

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Labeled “the devil’s child” for her vitiligo at her orphanage, DePrince found hope in a magazine photo of an American ballerina in pointe shoes.

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She has spoken in the past about how she was seen as a "devil's child" in the orphanage because she suffered from vitiligo, a condition in which patches of skin lose pigmentation.

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This strategy could also be adapted to treat other autoimmune skin diseases such as vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis, the researchers say.

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