hydrophobia
hydrophobia Lexical Profile
hydrophobia Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An extreme or irrational fear of water, especially as a psychological phobia.
"His severe hydrophobia prevented him from ever learning how to swim or boarding a boat."
The viral disease rabies, especially in humans, characterized by painful pharyngeal spasms and an inability to swallow water.
"Before the development of Louis Pasteur's vaccine, contracting hydrophobia from an animal bite was almost invariably fatal."
The chemical property of lacking affinity for or repelling water.
"The waxy coating on lotus leaves exhibits strong hydrophobia, causing raindrops to bead up and roll off."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern psychology, "aquaphobia" is preferred for the clinical fear of water, whereas "hydrophobia" is primarily reserved for the symptom of rabies or the chemical property of repelling water.
• Rhymes for hydrophobia
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-16th century from Late Latin hydrophobia, from Ancient Greek ὑδροφοβία (hudrophobía), combining ὕδωρ (húdōr, "water") and φόβος (phóbos, "fear"), originally referring specifically to the symptom of rabies.