Word Study

: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

[2x]

: T Tæ Tê T- T. Ta Tb Tc Td Te Th Ti Tj Tk Tl Tm Tn To Tp Tr Ts Tt Tu Tv Tw Tx Ty Tz

Table of Contents POS
HYPHEN
WORDNET DICTIONARY
CIDE DICTIONARY
OXFORD DICTIONARY

tarantism

POS

Noun

HYPHEN

tar=ant=ism

top

WORDNET DICTIONARY

Noun tarantism has 1 sense

tarantism(n = noun.state) - a nervous disorder characterized by an uncontrollable impulse to dance; popularly attributed to bite of the southern European tarantula or wolf spider;

is a kind of

chorea

top

CIDE DICTIONARY

tarantism, n. [It. tarantismo: cf. F. tarentisme. See Tarantula.].

A nervous affection producing melancholy, stupor, and an uncontrollable desire to dance. It was supposed to be produced by the bite of the tarantula, and considered to be incapable of cure except by protracted dancing to appropriate music. [1913 Webster]

top

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tarantism, n. hist. dancing mania, esp. that originating in S. Italy among those who had (actually or supposedly) been bitten by a tarantula.

Etymology

mod.L tarantismus, It. tarantismo f. Taranto in S. Italy f. L Tarentum

For further exploring for "tarantism" in Webster Dictionary Online