catalepsy
or cat·a·lep·sis
[ kat-l-ep-see ]
/ ˈkæt lˌɛp si /
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noun Pathology, Psychiatry.
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.
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Origin of catalepsy
OTHER WORDS FROM catalepsy
cat·a·lep·tic, adjective, nouncat·a·lep·ti·cal·ly, adverbDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use catalepsy in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for catalepsy
catalepsy
/ (ˈkætəˌlɛpsɪ) /
noun
a state of prolonged rigid posture, occurring for example in schizophrenia or in hypnotic trances
Derived forms of catalepsy
cataleptic, adjectiveWord Origin for catalepsy
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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