"loss of hair through disease," 1837, medical Latin, from Greek psilosis "a stripping of hair," from psiloun "to strip of hair," from psilos "bare" (see psilo-).
Entries linking to psilosis
psilo-
before vowels psil-, word-forming element meaning "stripped, bare," used mostly in forming scientific terms, from Greek psilos "bare, naked; mere," perhaps akin to psēn "to rub," and both or either perhaps from PIE root *bhes- "to rub" (source also of Greek psamathos "sand;" see sand (n.)). Middle English had psilotre "a depilatory ointment" (c. 1400).