acarophobia

[ak-er-uh-foh-bee-uh]

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an irrational or disproportionate fear of bites or infestation by small parasitic insects or mites, causing crawling or itching sensations on the skin.

Other Word Forms

• acarophobic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of acarophobia¹

First recorded in 1940–94; acar(us) + -o- ( def. ) + -phobia ( def. )