April 26, 2012 - allergy (noun) - What does it mean? - 1 :
exaggerated or abnormal reaction (as by sneezing, itching, or
rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states that do
not have such a strong effect on most people2 : a feeling of
dislike - How do you use it? - Because she has an allergy to
strawberries, she puts peaches on her shortcake instead. . - Are
you a word wiz? Which word do you think has the same origin as
"allergy"?Did you have to work hard to guess the answer was B?
"Allergy" and "energy" both stem from the Greek word "ergon,"
meaning "work." German speakers adopted "ergon" and used it to
form their word "Allergie" which passed into English as
"allergy." Greek speakers used "ergon" to form "energeia" which
passed into Latin as "energia" and from there entered English as
"energy." Other relatives of "ergon" include "surgery" and
"argon" (a gaseous element).