Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A scaly scurf formed on and shed from the scalp, sometimes caused by seborrhea.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A scurf which forms on the head, and comes off in small scales or particles.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Scaly white dead skin flakes from the human scalp; Pityriasis capitis.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a condition in which white scales of dead skin are shed by the scalp
  • noun loose scales shed from the scalp

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[dand-, of unknown origin + dialectal hurf, scurf (from Old Norse hrufa, crust, scab).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

The word is first attested in 1545; the first element is obscure, the second element derives from Northumbrian or E. Anglian dialect huff, hurf ("scab"), from Old Norse hrufa, from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz, *hreufaz (“rough, scabby”), source of Old English hrēofla ("leprosy, leper"). More at reef.

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Examples

  • Metabolomics is well suited to analyzing dandruff, which isn't just skin flaking as a result of a dry scalp.

    Itchy Scalp Offers Clues to Disease Shirley S. Wang 2011

  • What it means: What most of us grew up calling dandruff is now understood to be a complicated interaction of health issues that deserve to be taken seriously.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2010

  • Mrs. Woodruff was called dandruff, and Miss Tidy was called Untidy because she was.

    Comments for Storynory: Free Audio Stories for Kids 2009

  • Remember that bout of mysterious "dandruff" you had where you had to go to the dermatologist and even he couldn't figure out what was wrong?

    unclebob Diary Entry unclebob 2004

  • In fact, the word "dandruff" barely did it justice.

    Land of the Blind Walter, Jess, 1969- 2003

  • The powder builds up in the backing until it becomes a kind of dandruff that wet-cleaning makes worse, since moisture causes it to stick to the yarns.

    How To Avoid Housework PAULA JHUNG 1995

  • A method of removing dandruff which is highly recommended is that of rubbing olive oil into the scalp and later of removing this with a cleansing shampoo.

    Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools Francis M. Walters

  • I can’t help but think my dandruff is the result of Bush's War on Iraq. posted by jann wenner at July 26, 2005 2: 14 pm

    Greg Gutfeld: HUFFPO FAQ'S! 2008

  • When the flaky skin loosens, it leaves the telltale "dandruff" flakes.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2010

  • Learn the Ingredients in Your Skin and Hair Care Products: Artificial chemicals in personal care products can cause skin reactions such as dandruff, dryness, rashes, eczema, and acne.

    [Help] Most Recent Posts 2010

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