lycanthropy

[ lahy-kan-thruh-pee ]

/ laɪˈkæn θrə pi /

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noun

a delusion in which one imagines oneself to be a wolf or other wild animal.

the supposed or fabled assumption of the appearance of a wolf by a human being.

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Origin of lycanthropy

From the Greek word lykanthrōpía, dating back to 1575–85. See lycanthrope, -y³

OTHER WORDS FROM lycanthropy

ly·can·throp·ic

[lahy-kuhn-throp-ik], /ˌlaɪ kənˈθrɒp ɪk/, adjective

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

How to use lycanthropy in a sentence

Lycanthropic criminals were also brought up who had prowled about and devastated the sheepfolds.
The Superstitions of Witchcraft|Howard Williams
The tanoana seems to be the soul of which lycanthropic feats are asserted.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for lycanthropy

lycanthropy

/ (laɪˈkænθrəpɪ) /

noun

the supposed magical transformation of a person into a wolf

psychiatry a delusion in which a person believes that he is a wolf

Derived forms of lycanthropy

lycanthropic (ˌlaɪkənˈθrɒpɪk), adjective

Word Origin for lycanthropy

C16: from Greek lukānthropía, from lukos wolf + anthrōpos man

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