White or yellowish flakes of dead skin that fall from the scalp, often appearing in the hair or on the shoulders.
From Middle English, likely combining Old Norse 'hné' (scab) with elements meaning 'off' or 'away.' The exact origin is debated, but it emerged in the 1400s as a name for scalp flaking.
Dandruff used to be blamed on poor hygiene, but we now know it's usually caused by a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia that lives on everyone's scalp—some people's immune systems just react to it more than others, which is why dandruff runs in families.
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