Dandruff
/ˈdænd.rʌf/noun
Flaking of dead skin from the scalp.
Did you know?Dandruff’s origin is genuinely uncertain: medieval forms such as “dandrif” may combine an obscure word for scurf with Old English “hrōf,” meaning a crust or rough covering.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 12th century
Old English
*dand + hrōf (proposed)
“A disputed reconstruction involving a term for scurf or skin debris and hrōf, “crust” or “rough covering.””
12th–14th Century
Middle English
dandrif
“A scalp condition involving flakes or scurf; the precise origin remains uncertain.”
15th Century
Middle English
dandruff
“A variant form referring to flakes or scurf of the scalp.”
16th Century
English
dandruff
“Recorded in English for the flaky material shed from the scalp.”
Modern English
English
dandruff
“Scalp flaking, commonly associated with irritation or seborrheic dermatitis.”