lycanthropy

[lahy-kan-thruh-pee]

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.

Origin of lycanthropy

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

Related formsly·can·throp·ic

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lycanthropic

Historical Examples of lycanthropic

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

British Dictionary definitions for lycanthropic

lycanthropy

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 Formslycanthropic (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

Word Origin and History for lycanthropic

lycanthropy

1580s, a form of madness (described by ancient writers) in which the afflicted thought he was a wolf, from Greek lykanthropia, from lykanthropos "wolf-man," from lykos "wolf" (see wolf (n.)) + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-). Originally a form of madness (described by ancient writers) in which the afflicted thought he was a wolf; applied to actual transformations of persons (especially witches) into wolves since 1830 (see werewolf).

Medicine definitions for lycanthropic

lycanthropy

[lī-kăn′thrə-pē]

n.

The delusion that one is a wolf.