cacoëthes

Or cac·o·e·thes

[kak-oh-ee-theez]

noun

1. an irresistible urge; mania.

cacoethes

/ ˌkækəʊˈiːθiːz, ˌkækəʊˈɛθɪk /

noun

1. an uncontrollable urge or desire, esp for something harmful; mania

   a cacoethes for smoking

Other Word Forms

• cacoethic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cacoëthes¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cacoëthes¹

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