narcolepsy
/ˈnɑː(ɹ)kəˌlɛpsi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.50 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep, often brief, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Excitement-induced narcolepsy caused him to sleep through the most important events of his life."
- "“The conflict between corporations and activists is that of narcolepsy versus remembrance. The corporations have money, power, and influence. Our sole weapon is public outrage. Outrage blocked the Yuccan Dam, ousted Nixon, and in part, terminated the monstrosities in Vietnam. [...]”"
Etymology
From French narcolepsie. By surface analysis, narco- + -lepsy, from Ancient Greek ναρκόω (narkóō, “put to sleep”) + λῆψις (lêpsis, “seizure”).
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: narcolepsie, -