claustrophobia
pronunciation
How to pronounce claustrophobia in British English:
UK [ˌklɔ:strəˈfəʊbiə]
How to pronounce claustrophobia in American English:
US [ˌklɔstrəˈfoʊbiə]
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- Noun:
- a morbid fear of being closed in a confined space
Word Origin
- claustrophobia
- claustrophobia: see cloister
- claustrophobia (n.)
- "morbid fear of being shut up in a confined space," coined 1879 (in article by Italian-born, French-naturalized Swiss-English physician Dr. Benjamin Ball (1834-1892)) from Latin claustrum "a bolt, a means of closing; a place shut in, confined place, frontier fortress" (in Medieval Latin "cloister"), past participle of claudere "to close" (see close (v.)) + -phobia "fear."
Example
- 1. Or does the claustrophobia come and go ?
- 2. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia , memory loss and other neurotic disorders .
- 3. So when the claustrophobia strikes , I head for the islands .
- 4. People with claustrophobia is better to avoid such places , isn 't it ?
- 5. Like many other illnesses , like claustrophobia may be due to childhood trauma .