psycho- /sī-kō-, -kə-, -ko-/ or psych- /sīk-/

1. Denoting: soul or spirit
2. Mind, mental
3. Psychological

psychˈagogue /-ə-gog/ noun

1. (Gr agōgos guide) the conductor of souls to the underworld (a title of Hermes)
2. Someone who calls up spirits
3. Someone who guides the mind
4. A means of restoring consciousness

psychasthenia /sī-kəs-thēˈni-ə or -thə-nīˈə/ noun (Gr astheneia weakness; obsolete)

A severe functional mental disorder, characterized by fixed ideas, ruminative states and hypochondriacal conditions

psychedelia /sī-kə-dēˈli-ə/ or (more correctly but less commonly) psychodēlˈia noun

The production of, or the culture associated with, psychedelic experiences

(objects, etc associated with) psychedelic experiences

psychedelˈic or (more correctly but less commonly) psychodelˈic (or /-dēˈlik/) (Gr dēlos visible, clear) adjective

1. Relating to a state of relaxation and pleasure, with heightened perception and increased mental powers generally
2. Relating to drugs which cause, or are believed to cause, the taker to enter such a state
3. Relating to visual effects and/or sound effects whose action on the mind is a little like that of psychedelic drugs
4. Dazzling in pattern

psychīˈater noun (Gr īātros physician; archaic)

A psychiatrist

psychiatˈric or psychiatˈrical adjective

psychīˈatrist noun

A person who is medically qualified to treat diseases of the mind

psychīˈatry noun

psyˈchic adjective

1. (also psyˈchical) relating to the psyche, soul or mind
2. Spiritual
3. Spiritualistic
4. Beyond, or apparently beyond, the physical
5. Sensitive to, in touch with, or apparently having powers or capabilities derived from, something that has not yet been explained physically, eg apparently prescient or telepathic (psychical research investigation of phenomena apparently implying a connection with another world; psychic bid (bridge) the bid of a suit in which one is not strong to deceive an opponent, or for some other reason; psychic determinism the Freudian theory that mental processes are always determined by motivations, conscious or unconscious; psychic force a power not physical or mechanical, supposed to cause certain so-called spiritualistic phenomena)

1. That which is of the mind or psyche
2. A spiritualistic medium

psyˈchically adverb

psyˈchicism noun

Psychical research

psyˈchicist see psychist below

psyˈchics singular noun

1. The science of psychology
2. Psychical research

psyˈchism noun

The doctrine of a universal soul

psyˈchist noun

1. A psychologist (obsolete)
2. A person interested in psychical research (also psyˈchicist)
3. A player who makes psychic bids (bridge)

psychoacˈtive adjective

Of a drug, affecting the brain and influencing behaviour, heightening sensitivity, etc (also psychotropˈic)

psychoanˈalyse or (N American) psychoanˈalyze transitive verb

To subject to psychoanalysis

psychoanalˈysis noun

A method of investigation and psychotherapy whereby nervous diseases or mental ailments are traced to forgotten hidden concepts in the patient's mind and treated by bringing these to light

psychoanˈalyst noun

Someone who practises psychoanalysis

psychoanalytˈic or psychoanalytˈical adjective

psychˈobabble noun

1. Excessive or needless use of psychologists' jargon
2. Needless, meaningless or mindless use of jargon generally, eg by those involved in some of the modern spiritual and therapeutic movements or organizations

psychobiographˈical adjective

psychobiogˈraphy noun

A biography concerned mainly with the psychological development of its subject

psychobiologˈical adjective

psychobiolˈogist noun

psychobiolˈogy noun

The study of the relationship between the functions of the body and the mind

psychochemˈical adjective

Psychoactive

A substance with psychoactive effect, esp a chemical intended as a weapon of war, specif a psychogas

psychochemˈistry noun

The treatment of mental illness by drugs

psychodelia noun see psychedelia above

psychodelic adjective see psychedelic above

psychodramˈa noun

A method of treatment of mental disorders in which the patient is led to objectify and understand his or her difficulty by spontaneously acting it out

psychodramatˈic adjective

psychodynamˈic adjective

Relating to mental and emotional forces, their source in past experience, and their effects

psychodynamˈics singular noun

The study of psychodynamic forces, etc

Psychodynamic forces

psyˈchogas noun

A gas which makes a person's performance deteriorate very seriously without his or her being aware of it

psychogenˈesis noun

1. (the study of) the origin or development of the mind (also psychogenetˈics)
2. Origination in the mind

psychogenetˈic or psychogenetˈical adjective

psychogenˈic adjective

Originating in the mind or in a mental condition

psychogeriatˈric adjective

psychogeriatricˈian noun

psychogeriatˈrics singular noun

The study of the psychological problems of old age

psychogˈony noun

The origin or development of the mind or soul

psychˈogram noun

Writing supposedly produced by a spirit or under the influence of a spirit

psychˈograph noun

An instrument by which a psychogram is obtained

psychographˈic or psychographˈical adjective

psychographˈics singular noun

The quantitive study of personalities and attitudes, used as a tool in marketing

psychogˈraphy noun

1. Writing supposedly produced by or under the influence of a spirit
2. Psychological biography or delineation

psychohistorˈian noun

psychohistorˈical adjective

psychohisˈtory noun

History studied from a psychological point of view

psyˈchoid noun

The hypothetical regulative principle directing the behaviour of an organism

psychokinēˈsis noun

Movement by psychic agency

psychokinetˈic adjective

psycholingˈuist noun

psycholinguisˈtic adjective

psycholinguisˈtics singular noun

The study of language development, language in relation to the mind, language in thought, etc

psychologˈic or psychologˈical adjective (psychological block an inability to think about, remember, etc a particular subject, event, etc for psychological reasons; psychological moment strictly speaking, the psychological element or factor (Ger Moment); misunderstood by a French translator from German and applied to the moment of time when the mind could best be worked on; hence now often the very moment, the nick of time; psychological operation one carried out in psychological warfare, the use of propaganda to influence enemy opinion or morale)

psychologˈically adverb

psycholˈogism noun

1. A doctrine depending on psychological conceptions
2. The view that all natural and social sciences should be based on psychology

psycholˈogist noun

A person who has studied and is qualified in psychology

psycholˈogize or psycholˈogise intransitive verb

psycholˈogy noun

1. The science of the mind
2. The study of mind and behaviour
3. Attitudes, etc characteristic of an individual, type, etc, or animating specific conduct
4. Subtle or cunning behaviour or actions, using (or supposedly using) a knowledge of a person's mind in order to achieve one's own ends

psychomˈeter noun

1. Someone who has the occult power of psychometry
2. An instrument for measuring reaction times, etc

psychometˈric or psychometˈrical adjective

psychometrician /-trishˈən/ or psychomˈetrist noun

psychometˈrics singular noun

The branch of psychology dealing with measurable factors

psychomˈetry noun

1. Psychometrics
2. The occult power of divining properties of things by mere contact

psychomōˈtor adjective

Relating to such mental action as induces muscular contraction

psychoneuroimmunolˈogy noun

The study of the effects of mental states and other psychological factors in the body's immune system

psychoneurōˈsis noun (pl psychoneurōˈsēs)

1. Mental disease without any apparent anatomical lesion
2. A functional disorder of the mind in someone who is legally sane and shows insight into his or her condition

psychoneurotˈic noun and adjective

psychonomˈic adjective

psychonomˈics singular noun

The study of the individual mind in relation to its environment

psychopannychism /-panˈik-izm/ noun

(Gr pannychos all night long, from pās all, and nychios nightly) (belief in) the sleep of the soul from death to resurrection

psychopannˈychist noun

Someone who holds this belief

psyˈchopath /-path/ noun

1. Someone who shows a pathological degree of specific emotional instability without specific mental disorder
2. Someone suffering from a behavioural disorder resulting in inability to form personal relationships and in indifference to, or ignorance of, his or her obligations to society, often manifested by antisocial behaviour such as acts of violence, sexual perversion, etc

psychopathˈic adjective

Relating to psychopathy or the behaviour or condition of a psychopath

A psychopath

psychopˈathist or psychopatholˈogist noun

psychopatholˈogy noun

1. The branch of psychology that deals with the abnormal workings of the mind
2. An abnormal psychological condition

psychopˈathy noun

Any disorder of mental functions, insanity

psychopharmacolˈogist noun

psychopharmacolˈogy noun

The study of the effects of drugs on the mind

psychophily noun see under psyche¹

psychophysˈical adjective

(psychophysical parallelism see parallelism under parallel)

psychophysˈicist noun

psychophysˈics singular noun

The study of the relation between mental and physical processes

psychophysiolˈogy noun

Experimental or physiological psychology

psyˈchopomp noun

(Gr pompos guide) a conductor of souls to the other world

psychoprophylaxˈis noun

A method of training for childbirth aimed at enabling women to manage and control the pain of labour

psychosexˈual adjective

Of or relating to the psychological aspects of sex, eg sexual fantasies

psychōˈsis noun (pl psychōˈsēs)

1. Mental condition
2. A serious mental disorder characterized by eg illusions, delusions, hallucinations, mental confusion and a lack of insight on the part of the patient into his or her condition

psychosōˈcial adjective

Of or relating to matters both psychological and social

psychosomatˈic adjective

1. (Gr sōma body) of mind and body as a unit
2. Concerned with or denoting physical diseases having a psychological origin

psychosomatˈics singular noun

The study of psychosomatic conditions

psychosomimetˈic adjective

1. Of a drug, producing symptoms like those of mental illness
2. Referring to (eg drug-induced) changes in behaviour and personality resembling those due to psychosis

• contignation
• contignations
• contiguities
• contiguity
• contiguous
• contiguously
• contiguousness
• contiguousnesses
• continence
• continences
• continencies
• continency
• continent
• continental
• continental breakfast
• continental breakfasts
• continental climate
• Continental Congress
• continental crust
• continental day
• continental divide
• continental divides
• continental drift
• continental drifts
• continentalism