narcolepsy

English

Etymology

From French narcolepsie. By surface analysis, narco- +‎ -lepsy, from Ancient Greek ναρκόω (narkóō, put to sleep) +‎ λῆψις (lêpsis, seizure).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈnɑː(ɹ)kəˌlɛpsi/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

narcolepsy (countable and uncountable, plural narcolepsies)

  1. (pathology) A disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep, often brief, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations.
    Excitement-induced narcolepsy caused him to sleep through the most important events of his life.

Derived terms

Translations