Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ailurophobia

/aɪˌlʊɹəˈfoʊbi.ə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: ail-uro-pho-bia
IPA: /aɪˌlʊɹəˈfoʊbi.ə/

19

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An irrational fear or hatred of cats or other felines.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Ailourophobia†, (Katiphobia, or Gatophobia,) is a typical monomania. The fear of cats in certain monopsychoneurotic and psychopathic persons dates back to the beginning of the life of the feline."
"Whatever the cause there are many recorded instances of persons suffering from ailurophobia exhibiting symptoms of distress in rooms which apparently contained no cats; later cats would be discovered, hidden behind curtains or in closets."

Etymology

First recorded in 1905. From ailuro- (“cat”) + -phobia (“fear, hatred”), both from Ancient Greek.

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Prefix: ailuro
Root: -
Suffix: phobia

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /aɪˌlʊɹəˈfoʊbi.ə/
British English: /ˌaɪljʊəɹəˈfəʊbɪ.ə/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

ailurophobias (plural) aelurophobia (alternative) ailourophobia (alternative) elurophobia (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

ailurophobe ailurophobic Ailuroidea

Synonyms

felinophobia gatophobia galeophobia

Antonyms

ailurophilia

Questions

How do you pronounce ailurophobia?: The recorded pronunciation is /aɪˌlʊɹəˈfoʊbi.ə/.
What does ailurophobia mean?: An irrational fear or hatred of cats or other felines.
Where does ailurophobia come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce ailurophobia

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ailurophobia”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/aɪˌlʊɹəˈfoʊbi.ə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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