Poliosis
/ˌpɒliˈəʊsɪs/noun
A localized loss of pigment causing a patch of white or gray hair, eyelashes, or skin.
Did you know?The Greek root behind poliosis also appears in poliomyelitis, whose name refers to inflammation affecting the spinal cord’s “gray matter.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“Pale or light-colored”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πολιός (polios)
“Gray, especially gray-haired”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-ωσις (-ōsis)
“A condition, process, or pathological state”
19th Century
Medical Latin
poliosis
“A condition involving graying or whitening of hair”
Modern English
English
poliosis
“Localized depigmentation producing white or gray hair or skin”
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