tinea capitis
- noun
- /ˈtɪniə ˈkæpɪtɪs/
- Specialized
:
tiña del cuero cabelludo
- A visit to the dermatologist confirmed that her scaly skin condition was tinea capitis.
Examples
-
Tinea capitis is often seen in children, leading to noticeable patches of hair loss on the scalp.
-
These children with tinea capitis may get better spontaneously at puberty.
Academic text (2007) -
The prevalence of superficial mycoses (tinea capitis) has been studied in different parts of the world.
Academic text (2007) -
Many parents are unaware that tinea capitis can spread among children in schools and daycares.
Synonyms
1
8.6
An infection of the skin or nails that makes round itchy patches
How Severe
- Specialized
23
7.5
- Specialized
1
9.9
- Specialized
- Archaic
- Specialized
1
8.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
tinea + capitis
The term is compositional in medical Latin: 'tinea' = fungal infection and 'capitis' = 'of the head', so the overall meaning 'fungal infection of the scalp' is derivable if a learner recognises the Latin root. However, 'capitis' is not a common English word and many B1 learners will not know this genitive form, so the connection is only partially transparent for the target user group.
Etymology
The medical name tinea capitis comes from old Latin words: tinea meant 'worm' and capitis meant 'head', so the name gives the image of something eating the head. That's why it is used for a scalp infection that makes patches of hair fall out.