lycanthropy en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- lī-kăn′thrə-pē
- /lɑe̯ˈkæn.θɹə.piː/ (Australia)
- /lʌɪ̯-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /laɪ̯ˈkæn.θɹə.pi/ (Canada, General-American)
- /laɪ̯ˈkæn.θɹə.piː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /lʌi̯-/ (Scotland)
- /ləi̯-/ (Scotland)
- /lɑe̯ˈkɛn.θɹə.piː/ (New-Zealand)
- /laɪ̯ˈkan.θɹə.pi/ (Scotland)
- /-ˈkan-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /-θɹʌ-/ (Scotland)
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek λῠκᾰνθρωπῐ́ᾱ (lŭkănthrōpĭ́ā), from λῠκᾰ́νθρωπος (lŭkắnthrōpos, “wolfman”). By surface analysis, lycanthrope + -y (abstract noun suffix).
Meanings
- (uncountable, usually) The state of being a lycanthrope (or werewolf), a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and a wolf, often said to happen involuntarily during a full moon; werewolfdom.
-
(broadly, uncountable, usually) The state of being a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and an animal, whether or not it is a wolf.
On one hand, Jacques is quite glad that he doesn’t have classic lycanthropy. Turning into a squirrel tends to cause fewer problems than turning into a wolf.
2014, Marijn Haverbeke, “4: Data Structures: Objects and Arrays”, in Eloquent JavaScript, 2nd Ed.: A Modern Introduction to Programming, No Starch Press, →ISBN, page 60:
- (uncountable, usually) A delusion in which one believes oneself to be a wolf or other wild animal.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lycanthropies | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| lycanthropia | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Descendants
Relateds
shapeshift · lycanthrope · werewolf
Synonyms
werewolfism · werewolfdom · therianthropy
Translations (17)
grc λῠκᾰνθρωπῐ́ᾱ (act of shapeshifting) · vo lükantrop (act of shapeshifting) · de Lykanthropie (act of shapeshifting) · ca licantropia (act of shapeshifting) · pl likantropia (act of shapeshifting) · hu likantrópia (act of shapeshifting) · pt licantropia (act of shapeshifting) · es licantropía (act of shapeshifting) · gl licantropía (act of shapeshifting) · fi lykantropia (act of shapeshifting) · tr likantropi (act of shapeshifting) · fr lycanthropie (act of shapeshifting) · ru ликантро́пия (act of shapeshifting) · el λυκανθρωπία (act of shapeshifting) · uk лікантропі́я (act of shapeshifting) · ms likantropi (act of shapeshifting) · frm lycanthropie (act of shapeshifting)