hypochondria
pronunciation
How to pronounce hypochondria in British English:
UK [ˌhaɪpəˈkɒndriə]
How to pronounce hypochondria in American English:
US [ˌhaɪpəˈkɑndriə]
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- Noun:
- chronic and abnormal anxiety about imaginary symptoms and ailments
Word Origin
- hypochondria
- hypochondria: [16] Originally, hypochondria was an anatomical term, denoting the ‘area of the abdomen beneath the ribs’. It comes via Latin from Greek hupokhóndrion, a compound noun formed from the prefix hupo- ‘under’ and khóndros ‘cartilage’. This particular part of the body was formerly supposed to be the seat of melancholy, and so in the 17th century the word came to be used for ‘low spirits, depression’. The modern sense ‘belief of being ill’ originally be longed to the derived hypochondriasis [18], but was transferred in the 19th century to hypochondria.
- hypochondria (n.)
- 1839, "illness without a specific cause," earlier (1660s) "depression or melancholy without real cause," earlier still (late 14c.) ipocondrie "upper abdomen," from Late Latin hypochondria "the abdomen," from Greek hypokhondria (neuter plural of hypokhondrios), from hypo- "under" (see sub-) + khondros "cartilage" (of the breastbone); see grind (v.). Reflecting ancient belief that the viscera of the hypochondria were the seat of melancholy and the source of the vapors that caused such feelings.
Example
- 1. Immortality leads to hypochondria ?
- 2. She was worried that her doctor would accuse her of hypochondria .
- 3. So hypochondria really meant the soft tissues and organs that lay beneath your ribs and sternum .
- 4. Now that the city 's white-collar workers is a dense population of hypochondria .
- 5. In this regard , experts suggest , whether it is suspected brain , suspiciously dirty hypochondria are sick because of the physique health caused concern .