scotophobia

[ skoh-tuh-foh-bee-uh ]

nounPsychiatry.

an irrational or disproportionate fear of the dark: The basement in our new house sets off my scotophobia—I guess we’ll just use the garage for storage.: Compare nyctophobia.

Origin of scotophobia

¹

First recorded in 1840–45; scoto- + -phobia

Other words from scotophobia

sco·to·pho·bic, adjective, noun

Words Nearby scotophobia

Other definitions for Scotophobia (2 of 2)

Scotophobia

[ skot-uh-foh-bee-uh ]

noun

an aversion or hostility to, disdain for, or fear of Scotland or anything Scottish.

Origin of Scotophobia

²

First recorded in 1825–35; Scoto- + -phobia

Also called Cal·e·pho·bi·a [kal-uh-foh-bee-uh] /ˌkæl əˈfoʊ bi ə/ .

Other words from Scotophobia

Scot·o·pho·bic, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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