Atopy
/ˈeɪ.tə.pi/noun
A hereditary tendency to develop allergic hypersensitivity reactions.
Did you know?Atopy was coined in the early 20th century from Greek roots meaning “out of place,” making it a medically precise word for a body reacting as if something doesn’t belong.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
átopos (ἄτοπος)
“out of place, strange, extraordinary”
Early 20th Century
English
atopy
“a medical term for an inherited tendency toward allergic reactions”
Modern English
English
atopy
“a predisposition to allergic hypersensitivity”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tópos (τόπος)
“place, position, region”
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