Anaphylaxis
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Extreme sensitivity to a substance such as a foreign protein or drug. countable, uncountable
- 2 hypersensitivity reaction to the ingestion or injection of a substance (a protein or drug) resulting from prior contact with a substance wordnet
- 3 A severe and rapid systemic allergic reaction to an allergen, causing a constriction of the trachea, preventing breathing; anaphylactic shock. countable, uncountable
"“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."
Example
More examples"Anaphylaxis is a serious and life-threatening allergic reaction."
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”).
Related phrases
More for "anaphylaxis"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.