lycanthropy
noun
Did you know?
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 anthrōpos, 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.
Example Sentences
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 28 Aug. 2021 Created by Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, Scot Eaton and Benjamin Jackendoff, Gomez is described to be a descendant of the Native American tribe Hopi who has been cursed with lycanthropy, also through his lineage. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 28 Aug. 2021 The fantasies depicted were encyclopedic in their macabre scope, including murder, séances, ghost hunts, telekinesis, black magic, Nazis, lycanthropy and a visit by Jack the Ripper. Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2020 Teen Wolf, Teen Wolf Too (August 1) High school is a tough time for any teenager, and made even tougher by lycanthropy (i.e. werewolf-dom), as both Michael J. Fox and Jason Bateman learn in these 1980s horror-comedies. Nick Schager, Esquire, 28 July 2017 Word History
New Latin lycanthropia, from Greek lykanthrōpia, from lykanthrōpos werewolf, from lykos wolf + anthrōpos human being — more at wolf
1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
lycanthropy
noun