erethism

American  

[er-uh-thiz-uhm] / ˈɛr əˌθɪz əm /

noun

Physiology.

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

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erethism British  

/ ˈɛrɪˌθɪzəm /

noun

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

2. 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

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Other Word Forms

• erethic adjective
• erethismic adjective
• erethistic adjective
• erethitic adjective
• hypererethism noun

Etymology

Origin of erethism

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

Example Sentences

From the beginning, and often for a long period antecedent to the appearance of cardiac symptoms, the subjects of Graves' disease present a considerable mental erethism.

From Project Gutenberg

They are irritable in the nervous sense and excitable, and this erethism increases their nervous instability which responds by craving further excitement.

From Project Gutenberg

Physical Effects.—The super-excitation of nerves consequent upon the more or less general erethism that is induced, lessens resistive vitality.

From Project Gutenberg

We write his course unfeeling, Weak, selfish, petty, flowing from the craze Of sexual jealousy, made worse by war, And universal madness, erethism Of hellish war.

From Project Gutenberg

All it is at first is a rude satisfaction of the erethism.

From Project Gutenberg