cacoëthes

or cac·o·e·thes

[ kak-oh-ee-theez ]

noun
  1. an irresistible urge; mania.

Origin of cacoëthes

1
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin, from Greek kakóēthes, neuter (used as noun) of kakoḗthēs “malignant,” literally, “of bad character”; see caco-, ethos

Words Nearby cacoëthes

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How to use cacoëthes in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cacoethes

cacoethes

/ (ˌkækəʊˈiːθiːz) /


noun
  1. an uncontrollable urge or desire, esp for something harmful; mania: a cacoethes for smoking

Origin of cacoethes

1
C16: from Latin cacoēthes malignant disease, from Greek kakoēthēs of an evil disposition, from kakos caco- + ēthos character

Derived forms of cacoethes

  • cacoethic (ˌkækəʊˈɛθɪk), adjective

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