terriculament

English

Noun

terriculament (plural terriculaments)

1. (obsolete) A source of unnecessary or uncontrollable fear.
   • 1589, William Fulke, Confutation of the Rhemish New Testament (Annotation on Hebrews 10:31:

     […] the paines of purgatorie are but a vaine terriculament, to make men pay deere for popish masses, merites, satisfactions and pardons.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:

     , (1832 publication):

     [M]any times such terriculaments may proceed from natural causes, and all other senses may be deluded.

References

• The Fulke and Burton quotations originally appeared here.