lycanthropy

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English[edit]

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Etymology[edit]

From Ancient Greek λυκανθρωπία (lukanthrōpía), from λυκάνθρωπος (lukánthrōpos, “wolfman”). By surface analysis, lycanthrope +‎ -y.

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Noun[edit]

lycanthropy (usually uncountable, plural lycanthropies)

  1. (mythology) The state of being a lycanthrope (or werewolf), a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and a wolf, often said to happen involuntarily during a full moon; werewolfdom.
  2. (mythology, by extension) The state of being a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and an animal, whether or not it is a wolf.
    • 2014, Marijn Haverbeke, “4: Data Structures: Objects and Arrays”, in Eloquent JavaScript, 2nd Ed.: A Modern Introduction to Programming, No Starch Press, →ISBN, page 60:
      On one hand, Jacques is quite glad that he doesn’t have classic lycanthropy. Turning into a squirrel tends to cause fewer problems than turning into a wolf.
  3. A delusion in which one believes oneself to be a wolf or other wild animal.

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