atopy

[ at-uh-pee ]

noun

1. an allergy, involving an inherited immunoglobulin of the IgE type, that predisposes a person to certain allergic responses, as atopic dermatitis.

atopy

/ ˈætəʊpɪ /

noun

1. immunol a hereditary tendency to be hypersensitive to certain allergens

Word History and Origins

Origin of atopy¹

1920–25; < Greek atopía extraordinariness, equivalent to átop ( os ) out of place, unusual ( a- ⁶, topo- ) + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

“The present results demonstrate that biodiversity can be surprisingly strongly associated with atopy.”

From Scientific American

Also, those who lived on farms were much less likely to have atopy — an umbrella term for certain types of hyperallergic sensitivity, including hay fever, asthma and eczema.

From Seattle Times

The researchers also found that the teenagers' risk of atopy -- a tendency to have allergic reactions -- inched up the closer they lived to the main road.

From Reuters

But the drop in atopy was linked to a certain group of bacteria, not to the range of microbes.

From Seattle Times