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narcolepsy

[nahr-kuh-lep-see]
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noun Pathology.
  1. a condition characterized by frequent and uncontrollable periods of deep sleep.
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Origin of narcolepsy

First recorded in 1875–80; narco- + (epi)lepsy
Related formsnar·co·lep·tic, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

catalepsyencephalitisnarcolepsytrypanosomiasis

Examples from the Web for narcolepsy

Historical Examples

  • In white subjects, narcolepsy is seldom fatal but has been known to last for years.

    Psychoanalysis

    Andr Tridon

British Dictionary definitions for narcolepsy

narcolepsy

noun
  1. pathol a rare condition characterized by sudden and uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep
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Derived Formsnarcoleptic, adjective
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 narcolepsy

n.

1880, from French narcolepsie, coined 1880 by French physician Jean-Baptiste-Édouard Gélineau (1859-1928) from comb. form of Greek narke "numbness, stupor" (see narcotic) + lepsis "an attack, seizure," from leps-, future stem of lambanein "take hold of, grasp" (see analemma). Related: Narcoleptic; narcolept.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
narcolepsy in Medicine

narcolepsy

(när′kə-lĕp′sē)
n.
  1. A disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable, though often brief, attacks of deep sleep, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations.hypnolepsy
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Related formsnar′co•lep′tic (-lĕp′tĭk) adj. n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.