erethism

[er-uh-thiz-uh m]

noun Physiology.

an unusual or excessive degree of irritability or stimulation in an organ or tissue.

Origin of erethism

1790–1800; < French éréthisme < Greek erethismós irritation, equivalent to ereth(ízein) to irritate + -ismos -ism

Related formser·e·this·mic, er·e·this·tic

[er-uh-this-tik] /ˌɛr əˈθɪs tɪk/, er·e·thit·ic

[er-uh-thit-ik] /ˌɛr əˈθɪt ɪk/, e·reth·ic

[uh-reth-ik, e-reth-] /əˈrɛθ ɪk, ɛˈrɛθ-/, adjectivehy·per·er·e·thism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for erethism

Historical Examples of erethism

The intense excitement of the events had no doubt left my perceptive powers in a state of erethism.
The War of the Worlds
H. G. Wells
Normally, there appears to be no erethism of the sexual organs during the process of love-making.
A Preliminary Study of the Emotion of Love between the Sexes
Sanford Bell
At the same time they consider that, while erethism is less, sexuality is greater than in men.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 3 (of 6)
Havelock Ellis
If this flow is continued, without proper periods of repose, a state of erethism and insomnia is produced.
Sleep and Its Derangements
William A. Hammond
Erethism, er′e-thizm, n. excitement or stimulation of any organ.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)
Various

British Dictionary definitions for erethism

erethism

noun

physiol an abnormally high degree of irritability or sensitivity in any part of the body
psychiatry
1. a personality disorder resulting from mercury poisoning
2. an abnormal tendency to become aroused quickly, esp sexually, as the result of a verbal or psychic stimulus

Derived Formserethismic, erethistic or erethitic, adjective

Word Origin for erethism

C18: from French éréthisme, from Greek erethismos irritation, from erethizein to excite, irritate

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

erethism in Medicine

erethism

[ĕr′ə-thĭz′əm]

Abnormal irritability or sensitivity of an organ or body part to stimulation.