DANDRUFF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dandruff mean? 

• DANDRUFF (noun)
  The noun DANDRUFF has 2 senses:

1. a condition in which white scales of dead skin are shed by the scalp

2. loose scales shed from the scalp

  Familiarity information: DANDRUFF used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DANDRUFF (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A condition in which white scales of dead skin are shed by the scalp

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("dandruff" is a kind of...):

pityriasis (any of several skin disorders characterized by shedding dry flakes of skin)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Loose scales shed from the scalp

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Context example:

I could see the dandruff on her shoulders

Hypernyms ("dandruff" is a kind of...):

exfoliation; scale; scurf (a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin)

 Context examples 

Examples include itchy, dry skin and dandruff.

(Erythematosquamous Dermatosis, NCI Thesaurus)

The eggs (nits) of head lice can be mistaken for dandruff, but they are adherent to the hair shafts.

(Human Head Louse, NCI Thesaurus)

Products such as dandruff shampoo, fluoride toothpaste, and antiperspirant deodorant are both cosmetics and drugs.

(Cosmetics, Food and Drug Administration)

These chemicals are also made for use in many products, including coal tar, creosote, roofing tar, pesticides, mothballs, dandruff shampoos, and some medicines.

(PAH, NCI Dictionary)

Although the mechanism of action is not fully understood, topical administration of chloroxine diminishes mitotic activity in the epidermis, thereby reducing excessive scaling associated with dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp, including psoriasis and eczema.

(Chloroxine, NCI Thesaurus)