zoanthropy

[ zoh-an-thruh-pee ]

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. a mental disorder in which one believes oneself to be an animal.

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoanthropy¹

1855–60; zo- + -anthropy < New Latin -anthrōpia < Greek; anthropo-, -y ³

Example Sentences

“Clinical zoanthropy, or the conviction of having turned into an animal, is a rare delusion”, they write.

From The Guardian

The early days of Christianity are naturally full of incidents of this kind, but what is remarkable, zoanthropy was then already treated as a mere delusion.

From Project Gutenberg

Symptoms of zoanthropy typically range from one hour to several decades.

From The Guardian

For this is one of the specially fearful magic phenomena of zoanthropy that it is apt to produce in healthy persons the same delusion as in the sufferer.

From Project Gutenberg