epilepsy
pronunciation
How to pronounce epilepsy in British English:
UK [ˈepɪlepsi]
How to pronounce epilepsy in American English:
US ['epɪlepsɪ]
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- Noun:
- a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by loss of consciousness and convulsions
Word Origin
- epilepsy
- epilepsy: [16] Etymologically, epilepsy is the Greek equivalent of English seizure or attack. The word comes, via French or Latin, from Greek epilēpsíā, a derivative of epilambánein ‘seize upon’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix epí- ‘on’ and lambánein ‘take hold of’.
- epilepsy (n.)
- 1570s, from Middle French epilepsie (16c.), from Late Latin epilepsia, from Greek epilepsis "epilepsy," literally "a seizure," from epilambanein "to lay hold of, seize upon, attack," especially of diseases, but also of events, armies, etc., from epi "upon" (see epi-) + lepsis "seizure," from leps-, future stem of lambanein "take hold of, grasp" (see analemma). Earlier was epilencie (late 14c.), from Middle French epilence, a variant form influenced by pestilence. The native name in English was falling sickness.
Example
- 1. The volunteers all had epilepsy which had not responded to drug treatments .
- 2. Yet epilepsy was not the sole source of dickinson 's creativity and unconventional outlook .
- 3. My wife suffers from epilepsy and was worried that her drugs would run out .
- 4. We were referred to great ormond street hospital , and later the young epilepsy centre in surrey .
- 5. The findings might hold some hope for sufferers of insomnia , migraines , and even epilepsy .