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reflexology

[ree-flek-sol-uh-jee]
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noun
  1. a system of massaging specific areas of the foot or sometimes the hand in order to promote healing, relieve stress, etc., in other parts of the body.
  2. Medicine/Medical. the study of reflex movements and processes.
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Origin of reflexology

First recorded in 1920–25; reflex + -o- + -logy
Related formsre·flex·ol·o·gist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for reflexology

reflexology

noun
  1. a form of therapy practised as a treatment in alternative medicine in which the soles of the feet are massaged: designed to stimulate the blood supply and nerves and thus relieve tension
  2. psychol the belief that behaviour can be understood in terms of combinations of reflexes
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Derived Formsreflexologist, noun
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 reflexology

n.

1927, as a psychological theory, from German reflexologie (1912); see reflex + -ology. As a foot massage technique, first recorded 1976.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
reflexology in Medicine

reflexology

(rē′flĕk-sŏl′ə-jē)
n.
  1. The study of reflex responses, especially as they affect behavior.
  2. A method of massage that relieves nervous tension through the application of finger pressure, especially to the feet.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.