dandruff

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dandruff

/ˈdændɹʌf/ UK
/ˈdændɹʊf/ UK
/ˈdændɹəf/ Canada, US
[ˈdɛəndɹəf] Canada, US
/ˈdændɹʌf/ Australia
/ˈdændɹəf/ Australia

Where it comes from

The word is first attested in 1545; the first element is obscure, but compare dander. The second element derives from a Northumbrian or East Anglian Middle English hurf (“scab”), from Old Norse hrufa. Compare Dutch roof, Luxembourgish Roff. Related with Proto-Germanic *hreubaz, *hreufaz (“rough, scabby”), source of Old English hrēofla (“leprosy, leper”). More at reef (etymology 3).

noun dandruffs · dandriff

uncountable, usually scaly white dead skin flakes from the human scalp; Pityriasis capitis Dandruff is on my collar again.
Similar: scurf

verb dandruffs · dandruffing · dandruffed · dandriff

To fall or cover with white flakes, like dandruff. The toaster is broken and salt is dandruffing my wool sweater.

Translations

Every language

noun dead skin flakes

Español	caspa
한국어	비듬 bideum
日本語	雲脂 fuke, 頭垢 fuke
中文	頭皮屑 /头皮屑 tóupíxiè, 頭皮 /头皮 tóupí
हिन्दी	रूसी rūsī, रुसी rusī
Kiswahili	mba, uyabisi
Português	caspa
Français	pellicules
Deutsch	Kopfschuppen, Schuppen, Hautschuppe, Schorf, Schmelzflocken
Italiano	forfora
Ελληνικά	πιτυρίδα pityrída
Română	mătreață
Русский	пе́рхоть pérxotʹ
Tiếng Việt	gàu, gầu
العربية	قِشْرَة الرَّأْس
עברית	קשקשים kaskasin, קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת kaskéset

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MLA

"dandruff." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dandruff. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

dandruff. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dandruff

Chicago

"dandruff." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dandruff.

BibTeX

@misc{dandruff_2026,
  title = {dandruff},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dandruff},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}