mange

When you hear this word, you may picture a dog with bare patches and itchy skin, and that image is close to the mark. It refers to a skin disease in animals caused by tiny mites. The usual signs are hair loss, itching, sore skin, and a rough, unhealthy look.

People also know the related adjective "mangy," which can describe an animal with this disease or, more loosely, something that looks shabby and neglected. That broader use comes from the same idea of visible damage and poor condition.

"Mange" is mainly the name of a skin disease that affects mammals, especially dogs, cats, and farm animals. It is caused by very small mites that live on or in the skin. The condition often brings strong itching, hair loss, redness, scaling, and a patchy or scabby look. In everyday English, the word usually appears when someone is talking about an animal that looks sick, uncomfortable, and poorly cared for, even if the speaker does not know the exact medical type.

There are different forms of the disease, depending on the mite involved. Some kinds spread easily between animals, and some can briefly affect humans too. An animal with this condition may be called "mangy." That adjective later grew into a broader descriptive word for anything that seems shabby, dirty, or in very bad shape, though that is a separate extended use from the disease itself.

The word came into English through Old French and is linked to an older idea of eating or gnawing away. That history fits the picture the word gives: skin that has been badly irritated and an animal that looks worn down by the condition. So in its main sense, the word names a mite-caused skin disease in animals, and in related forms it can also suggest neglect, damage, or a rough appearance.