obsessive-compulsive disorder

noun

psychiatry an anxiety disorder in which patients are driven to repeat the same act, such as washing their hands, over and over again, usually for many hoursAbbreviation: OCD

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

obsessive-compulsive disorder in Science

obsessive-compulsive disorder

[əb-sĕs′ĭv-kəm-pŭl′sĭv]

A psychiatric disorder characterized by the persistent intrusion of repetitive, unwanted thoughts which may be accompanied by compulsive actions, such as handwashing. The individual cannot voluntarily prevent these thoughts or actions, which interfere with normal functioning.