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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

drained, distressed, sleepy, overworked, fatigued, stale, bored, annoyed, irritated, exasperated, faint, beat, jaded, spent, worn, drooping, finished, wasted, enervated, flagging
British Dictionary definitions for narcoleptic

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 narcoleptic

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
narcoleptic 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.