tarantism
or tar·ent·ism
a mania characterized by an uncontrollable impulse to dance, especially as prevalent in southern Italy from the 15th to the 17th century, popularly attributed to the bite of the tarantula.
Origin of tarantism
1Other words from tarantism
- tar·ant·ist, noun
- Compare tarantula (def. 3).
Words Nearby tarantism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use tarantism in a sentence
The tarantism so common in Italy from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century is another example of epidemic hysteria.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin MalleyWhat could account so entirely for his ways and actions as that strange poisoning which produces the state they call tarantism?
A Mortal Antipathy | Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.This form of "possession," then, passed out of the supernatural domain, and became known as "tarantism."
History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom | Andrew Dickson WhiteOne of the best known of these diseases is 'tarantism,' or the frenzy produced by the bite of the Tarantula, in Italy.
Shakespeare and Music | Edward W. NaylorAt the close of the fifteenth century tarantism had spread beyond the borders of Apulia.
British Dictionary definitions for tarantism
/ (ˈtærənˌtɪzəm) /
a nervous disorder marked by uncontrollable bodily movement, widespread in S Italy during the 15th to 17th centuries: popularly thought to be caused by the bite of a tarantula
Origin of tarantism
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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