allergen
pronunciation
How to pronounce allergen in British English:
UK [ˈælədʒən]
How to pronounce allergen in American English:
US [ˈælərdʒən]
-
- Noun:
- any substance that can cause an allergy
Word Origin
- allergen (n.)
- substance causing allergy, 1912, from allergy on model of antigen.
Example
- 1. Your body may have a threshold for a particular allergen , such as pollen or animal dander .
- 2. In many cases , asthma is triggered by exposure to an allergen in the environment ( allergy-induced asthma ) .
- 3. With food , he says , there 's often little consensus about what , exactly , the offending allergen is .
- 4. The placebo , identical except that it contains no allergen , is administered in the same way but on a different day .
- 5. Allergies are caused by an overactive immune system responding to an allergen such as pollen , mold , dust or pet dander .