Definition

A type of fungus that lives on the skin and can cause infections in areas like hair, nails, or skin itself.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with a dermatophyte infection on her foot.

Conversation

I heard that a dermatophyte can cause skin infections.

Really? I didn't know that! What exactly does it do?

It can infect your skin, hair, or nails, which sounds pretty annoying.

Yeah, I should be careful then, especially during the summer.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dermatophyte → It is formed from "derma" (from Greek "derma", meaning skin) and "phyte" (from Greek "phyton", meaning plant). The word refers to a type of fungus that grows on the skin, hence its name as a skin plant.

Memory Tip

Think of 'derma' meaning skin and 'phyte' meaning plant — this helps you remember that a dermatophyte is a fungus that grows on the skin.

Visually Confused Words