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allergy

al·ler·gy [ állərjee ] (plural al·ler·gies)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. hypersensitivity to substance: unusual sensitivity to a normally harmless substance that provokes a strong reaction from a person's body. The body is sensitized by the immune system's response to the first exposure to the substance, and the reaction takes place only upon subsequent exposures.

2. aversion: a strong aversion to something ( informal )
an allergy to housework

[Early 20th century. < German Allergie< Greek allos "other" (see allo-), after Energie "energy"]
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