lyssophobia

[lis-uh-foh-bee-uh]

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an irrational or disproportionate fear of going insane.

2. an extreme fear of rabies.

Other Word Forms

• lyssophobic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lyssophobia¹

First recorded in 1885–90; from Greek lyss(a) “rage, rabies, madness” + -o- + -phobia

Example Sentences

Men doubtless occasionally develop lyssophobia under such an influence, but animals do not contract genuine rabies.

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In a case reported a few years ago by Hammond the symptoms appeared perfectly characteristic, and at the necropsy circumscribed points of congestion were found near the roots of the vagus; yet the dog that bit this man was said to be alive and well, and in the absence of any successful inoculation from biter or bitten the case must be presumed to have been lyssophobia.

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If rabid, the symptoms will be fully developed in a few days, whereas if destroyed at once the bitten party is liable to develop lyssophobia. 6th.

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When the poison has actually invaded the brain, this can be looked on as a palliative measure only, but in the many cases of lyssophobia it may put an instant stop to the affection.

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The most difficult to distinguish from the genuine disease are those cases in which hydrophobia occurs as a disease of the imagination, the result of fear—the lyssophobia or hydrophobie non-rabique of the writers.

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