Adjacent Words

tarantism definitions

	Tweet

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a nervous disorder characterized by an uncontrollable impulse to dance; popularly attributed to bite of the southern European tarantula or wolf spider

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: New Latin tarantismus, from Taranto, Italy Date: circa 1656 a dancing mania or malady of late medieval Europe

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. hist. dancing mania, esp. that originating in S. Italy among those who had (actually or supposedly) been bitten by a tarantula. Etymology: mod.L tarantismus, It. tarantismo f. Taranto in S. Italy f. L Tarentum

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tarantism Tar"ant*ism, n. [It. tarantismo: cf. F. tarentisme. See Tarantula.] (Med.) A nervous affection producing melancholy, stupor, and an uncontrollable desire to dance. It was supposed to be produced by the bite of the tarantula, and considered to be incapable of cure except by protracted dancing to appropriate music. [Written also tarentism.]