tarantism

or tar·ent·ism

[ tar-uhn-tiz-uhm ]

/ ˈtær ənˌtɪz əm /

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noun

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.

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Compare tarantula (def. 3).

Origin of tarantism

From the New Latin word tarantismus, dating back to 1630–40. See Taranto, -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM tarantism

tar·ant·ist, noun

Words nearby tarantism

Taranaki wind, tar and feather, tarantass, tarantella, Tarantino, tarantism, Taranto, tarantula, Tarantula nebula, Tarapoto, Tararua biscuit

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 Malley
What 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 White
One 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. Naylor

At the close of the fifteenth century Tarantism had spread beyond the borders of Apulia.
The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal,|Various

British Dictionary definitions for tarantism

tarantism

/ (ˈtærənˌtɪzəm) /

noun

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

Word Origin for tarantism

C17: from New Latin tarantismus, from Taranto; see tarantula

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