Dictionary.com

cacoëthes

or cac·o·e·thes

[ kak-oh-ee-theez ]
/ ˌkæk oʊˈi θiz /

noun

an irresistible urge; mania.

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Origin of cacoëthes

1555–65; <Latin <Greek kakóēthes, neuter (used as noun) of kakoḗthēs malignant, literally, of bad character; see caco-, ethos

Words nearby cacoëthes

cacodylate, cacodyl group, cacodylic, cacodylic acid, cacoepy, cacoëthes, cacogenics, cacogeusia, cacography, cacology, cacomelia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for cacoëthes

British Dictionary definitions for cacoëthes

cacoethes
/ (ˌkækəʊˈiːθiːz) /

noun

an uncontrollable urge or desire, esp for something harmful; maniaa cacoethes for smoking

Derived forms of cacoethes

cacoethic (ˌkækəʊˈɛθɪk), adjective

Word Origin for cacoethes

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