anaphylaxis
/ˌænəfɪˈlæksɪs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.59 in modern English
26
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A severe and rapid systemic allergic reaction to an allergen, causing a constriction of the trachea, preventing breathing; anaphylactic shock.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "“Anyone who has experienced or witnessed an anaphylaxis reaction knows it can be very stressful deciding when to inject epinephrine to themselves or a child and often delay,” Dr. Jonathan Spergel, chief of the allergy program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said in a news release from ARS Pharmaceuticals."
- "He said a bite could send someone into anaphylaxis, which is a narrowing of the airways and lowering of blood pressure, within minutes."
- "While we wait, she [Maggie Aderin-Pocock] reassures me that she always carries an EpiPen, and says she has recently become an ambassador for the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, an allergy awareness charity named after teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperousse, who died from anaphylaxis in 2016."
Etymology
Borrowed from French anaphylaxie, coined by French physiologist and parapsychologist Charles Richet and French zoologist Paul Portier from the Ancient Greek ᾰ̓νᾰ- (ănă-, “(intensifier) thoroughly”) from ᾰ̓νᾰ́ (ănắ, “to, again, upon”) and φύλαξις (phúlaxis, “protection, watching, guarding”).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌænəfɪˈlæksɪs/