Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lycanthropy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If you happen to be afflicted with lycanthropy, the full moon is apt to cause you an inordinate amount of distress. "Lycanthropy" can refer to either the delusional idea that one is a wolf or to the werewolf transformations that have been the stuff of superstitions for centuries. In some cultures, similar myths involve human transformation into other equally feared animals: hyenas and leopards in Africa, for example, and tigers in Asia. The word lycanthropy itself, however, comes from the Greek words lykos, meaning "wolf," and anthropos, meaning "human being." Werewolf myths are usually associated with the phases of the moon; the animal nature of the werewolf (or "lycanthrope") is typically thought to take over when the moon is full.
First Known Use: 1594
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearSee words that rhyme with lycanthropy Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lycanthropy
What made you want to look up lycanthropy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
The Eponym Quiz
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Do you know these words that come from names?
Take the quiz
A challenging quiz of changing words.
Take the quiz
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz
Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.
Play the game
