epilepsy

[ ep-uh-lep-see ]

/ ˈɛp əˌlɛp si /

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See synonyms for epilepsy on Thesaurus.com

noun Pathology.

a disorder of the nervous system, characterized either by mild, episodic loss of attention or sleepiness (petit mal ) or by severe convulsions with loss of consciousness (grand mal ).

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Origin of epilepsy

First recorded in 1570–80; from Old French epilepsie, from Late Latin epilēpsia, from Greek epilēpsía “epileptic seizure,” derivative of epilambánein “to take hold of, seize, attack”; see epi-, -lepsy

Words nearby epilepsy

epilate, epilation, epilator, epilatory, epilemma, epilepsy, epileptic, epileptiform, epileptogenic, epileptogenic zone, epileptoid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use epilepsy in a sentence

The condition can be present at birth, but people can develop epilepsy over the course of their lifetime, as Ruppert did.
A journalist had a seizure while playing ‘Cyberpunk 2077.’ Then she helped change the game.|Elise Favis|December 31, 2020|Washington Post
Under this law, private companies have been able to bring patients hundreds of treatments—including the epilepsy drug Lyrica, the ovarian and breast cancer therapy Taxol, and the multiple sclerosis medication Tcelna.
Why we shouldn’t give up on bipartisanship, even now|jakemeth|November 3, 2020|Fortune
I’ve made an application to self-quarantine on the basis of epilepsy.
Crime, Corona, Copper and Trouble in Zambia|Eugene Robinson|October 30, 2020|Ozy
However, looking ahead, the study is a sure-footed step towards transforming a powerful research technology into a clinical therapy that could potentially help people with neurological problems, such as depression or epilepsy.
Scientists Found a New Way to Control the Brain With Light—No Surgery Required|Shelly Fan|October 13, 2020|Singularity Hub

The heart of Mo-DBRS’s brain recording and stimulation setup is a medical device called NeuroPace, which is often implanted inside the skull to help epilepsy patients control their seizures.
Want to Decode the Human Brain? There’s a New System for That, and It’s Pretty Wild|Shelly Fan|September 22, 2020|Singularity Hub
Naturalism tells us that mystics had temporal lobe epilepsy.
Eben Alexander Has a GPS for Heaven|Patricia Pearson|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Compulsive writing, or hypergraphia, is a well-known, if uncommon, symptom of temporal lobe epilepsy.
The Seizure Medication That Turns You Into a Poet|Cat Ferguson|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The connection between temporal lobe epilepsy and creativity is well known.
The Seizure Medication That Turns You Into a Poet|Cat Ferguson|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are many written descriptions of physical disabilities, epilepsy, and mental illness from all eras.
Living With Disability in the Dark Ages|Elizabeth Picciuto|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the 18th century, epilepsy marked a person as evil, full of sin, possessed by the devil.
Dick and Lynne Cheney Play the Founding Fathers for Laughs|Eleanor Clift|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This indicates that cases of epilepsy comparatively rarely come under observation after the age of forty.
A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy|Alexander Hughes Bennett
No family history of epilepsy, insanity, nervous or other hereditary disorders in 59 per cent.
A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy|Alexander Hughes Bennett
The clinical aspects of epilepsy are especially difficult to investigate with exactitude.
A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy|Alexander Hughes Bennett
From these details it is evident that epilepsy is not of necessity associated with impairment of the physical or mental health.
A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy|Alexander Hughes Bennett
Another variety of epilepsy is that which is characterized by the time at which the attacks occur.
A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy|Alexander Hughes Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for epilepsy

epilepsy

/ (ˈɛpɪˌlɛpsɪ) /

noun

a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by periodic loss of consciousness with or without convulsions. In some cases it is due to brain damage but in others the cause is unknownSee also grand mal, petit mal

Word Origin for epilepsy

C16: from Late Latin epilēpsia, from Greek, from epilambanein to attack, seize, from lambanein to take

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

Medical definitions for epilepsy

epilepsy

[ ĕp′ə-lĕp′sē ]

Any of various neurological disorders characterized by sudden, recurring attacks of motor, sensory, or psychic malfunction with or without loss of consciousness or convulsive seizures.seizure disorder

Scientific definitions for epilepsy

epilepsy

[ ĕp′ə-lĕp′sē ]

Any of various neurological disorders characterized by recurrent seizures. Epilepsy is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Cultural definitions for epilepsy

epilepsy

[ (ep-uh-lep-see) ]

A disorder of the brain characterized by sudden, recurring attacks of abnormal brain function, often resulting in convulsions or seizures. The seizures associated with epilepsy can sometimes be controlled by medication.

epilepsy

Origin of epilepsy

Words nearby epilepsy

Words related to epilepsy

How to use epilepsy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for epilepsy

Word Origin for epilepsy

Medical definitions for epilepsy

Scientific definitions for epilepsy

Cultural definitions for epilepsy