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 Words From

• ker·a·to·lyt·ic [ker-, uh, -toh-, lit, -ik], 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.

From Project Gutenberg