Hypertrichosis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A medical condition featuring an excess of body hair due to abnormal hair growth stimulation in different parts of the skin
2. This disorder involves an abnormal increase in hair density on the body, leading to noticeable hair growth in atypical areas
3. A chronic condition characterized by unusually dense and widespread hair growth on body areas where hair is normally minimal or absent

Etymology: Hypertrichosis is a compound built from two Greek elements. The first, "hyper," comes from Ancient Greek "hupér," meaning "over," "above," or "beyond," and it is the same root that gives English words like "hyperactive" and "hyperbole." The second, "trichosis," is a medical formation from Greek "thrix" (genitive "trichos"), meaning "hair," with the suffix "-osis," used in medicine for abnormal or diseased conditions. Put together, the name describes a condition of hair "above the normal amount." The word is a modern technical coinage, built from classical parts by medical writers rather than used by the ancient Greeks themselves. Its structure is transparent: a reader who knows "hyper-" and "-osis" can usually guess its meaning without a dictionary.