erethism

English

Etymology

From French éréthisme, from Ancient Greek ἐρεθισμός (erethismós), from ἐρεθίζειν (erethízein, “to irritate”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛɹɪθɪzəm/

Noun

erethism (countable and uncountable, plural erethisms)

1. (pathology) Abnormal excitement of a bodily organ or tissue.
2. Any unusual or morbid overexcitement.
   • 1978, Robert Hurley, translated by Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality Volume I, Penguin, page 32:

     Since the eighteenth century, sex has not ceased to provoke a kind of generalized discursive erethism.

3. A neurological disorder arising from mercury poisoning, leading to irritability, depression, etc.

   Synonyms: erethism mercurialis, mad hatter disease, mad hatter syndrome

Related terms

• erethistic
• erethic

Translations

pathology: abnormal excitement of organ or tissue

• Finnish: eretismi (fi)
• French: éréthisme (fr) m
• German: Erethismus m, Erethie f
• Occitan: eretisme m

overexcitement

• Finnish: yliärtymys

Anagrams

• etherism