erethism

[ er-uh-thiz-uhm ]

/ ˈɛr əˌθɪz əm /

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noun Physiology.

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

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Origin of erethism

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

OTHER WORDS FROM erethism

er·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

Words nearby erethism

eremurus, Erenburg, erenow, erepsin, Ereshkigal, erethism, Eretria, Eretz Israel, Eretz Yisrael, erev, Erevan

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use erethism in a sentence

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
In all these cases it is worthy of remark that there was present an unusual degree of cerebral erethism.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep|Henry M. Lyman
They lose control over their vasomotor system to some extent as a result of this systemic erethism.
Psychotherapy|James J. Walsh
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

But ought this excess of nervous erethism to be referred necessarily to the peculiar nature of the Urning?
A Problem in Modern Ethics|John Addington Symonds

British Dictionary definitions for erethism

erethism

/ (ˈɛrɪˌθɪzəm) /

noun

physiol an abnormally high degree of irritability or sensitivity in any part of the body

psychiatry

a personality disorder resulting from mercury poisoning
an abnormal tendency to become aroused quickly, esp sexually, as the result of a verbal or psychic stimulus

Derived forms of erethism

erethismic, 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