catalepsy

or cat·a·lep·sis

[ kat-l-ep-see ]
See synonyms for catalepsy on Thesaurus.com
nounPathology, Psychiatry.
  1. a physical condition usually associated with catatonic schizophrenia, characterized by suspension of sensation, muscular rigidity, fixity of posture, and often by loss of contact with environment.

Origin of catalepsy

1
1350–1400; <Medieval Latin catalēpsia, variant of Late Latin catalēpsis<Greek katálēpsis seizure (akin to katalambánein to hold down), equivalent to kata-cata- + lêpsis a grasping (lēp-, variant stem of lambánein to grasp + -sis-sis); replacing Middle English cathalempsia<Medieval Latin

Other words from catalepsy

  • cat·a·lep·tic, adjective, noun
  • cat·a·lep·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use catalepsy in a sentence

  • There are such, put in the spiritualist; for instance—crabs; they are very nervous, and are easily thrown into a cataleptic state.

    Smoke | Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich
  • A cataleptic dream would explain it all; and I was determined that a dream it should be.

    J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 1 | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
  • And all of this the senseless seaman heard—for—he was in a cataleptic fit, where he could hear, but could not move.

  • He tried to stir and found that it couldn't be done; every muscle seemed tied in a cataleptic state.

    The Brain | Alexander Blade
  • The figure sits and leans forward in the chair, straining and rigid, cataleptic with horror.

British Dictionary definitions for catalepsy

catalepsy

/ (ˈkætəˌlɛpsɪ) /


noun
  1. a state of prolonged rigid posture, occurring for example in schizophrenia or in hypnotic trances

Origin of catalepsy

1
C16: from Medieval Latin catalēpsia, variant of Late Latin catalēpsis, from Greek katalēpsis, literally: a seizing, from katalambanein to hold down, from kata- down + lambanein to grasp

Derived forms of catalepsy

  • cataleptic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012