mesmerism

English

WOTD – 5 March 2016

An 1849 portrait of Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815) by Jules Porreau

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] French mesmérisme, analysable as Mesmer +‎ -ism; so called after Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815), a German physician who developed the animal magnetism theory.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛzməˌɹɪzəm/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: mes‧mer‧ism

Noun

mesmerism (countable and uncountable, plural mesmerisms)

1. The method or power of gaining control over someone's personality or actions, as in hypnosis or suggestion.
   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Chapter 23:

     What is the secret mesmerism which friendship possesses, and under the operation of which a person ordinarily sluggish, or cold, or timid, becomes wise, active, and resolute, in another's behalf?

2. The state induced by hypnotic methods (especially that of Mesmer himself).

Derived terms

• mesmeric
• mesmerist
• mesmerize
• mesmerized
• mesmerizing

Translations

mesmerism

• Finnish: mesmerismi
• German: Mesmerismus (de) m (historical)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hindi: मेस्मरिज्म (hi) m (mesmarijma)

See also

• hypnosis
• somnolism

Further reading

• “mesmerism”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “mesmerism”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.