pseudocyesis

American  

[soo-doh-sahy-ee-sis] / ˌsu doʊ saɪˈi sɪs /

noun

Pathology, Veterinary Pathology.

plural

pseudocyeses

1. false pregnancy.

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pseudocyesis British  

/ ˌsjuːdəʊsaɪˈiːsɪs /

noun

1. the technical name for phantom pregnancy

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Etymology

Origin of pseudocyesis

First recorded in 1810–20; pseudo- + cyesis

Example Sentences

The truth was less scandalous: Despite all appearances to the contrary, Mary had never been pregnant to begin with, having the misfortune of being history’s first well-documented case of a very rare phenomenon called pseudocyesis.

From National Geographic • Sep. 11, 2023

Nonetheless, both federal prosecutor Roseann Ketchmark and the opposing expert witness forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz vehemently countered the diagnosis of pseudocyesis.

From Fox News • Dec. 31, 2020

This hinged on the claim that Montgomery was suffering from a rare condition called pseudocyesis that caused her to believe she was pregnant and thought that Stinnett’s baby was hers.

From Slate • Dec. 21, 2020

But pseudocyesis, if she had it, was a symptom of a bigger problem.

From New York Times • Dec. 18, 2020

Cases of pseudocyesis in women convicted of murder are not uncommon, though most of them are imposters hoping for an extra lease of life.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)