| phobanthropy | Synonym: anthropophobia. Origin: G. Phobos, fear, + anthropos, man (05 Mar 2000) |
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| phobia | <psychology> A persistent, irrational, intense fear of a specific object, activity or situation (the phobic stimulus), fear that is recognised as being excessive or unreasonable by the individual himself. When a phobia is a significant source of distress or interferes with social functioning, it is considered a mental disorder, phobic disorder (or neurosis). In DSM III phobic disorders are subclassified as agoraphobia, social phobias and simple phobias. Used as a word termination denoting irrational fear of or aversion to the subject indicated by the stem to which it is affixed. Origin: Gr. Phobos = fear (16 Mar 1998) |
| phobic | Pertaining to or characterised by phobia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| phobic disorders | Anxiety disorders in which the essential feature is persistent and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that the individual feels compelled to avoid. The individual recognises the fear as excessive or unreasonable. (12 Dec 1998) |
| phobophobia | <psychology> Morbid dread of developing some phobia. Origin: G. Phobos, fear (05 Mar 2000) |
| phoca | <zoology> A genus of seals. It includes the common harbor seal and allied species. See Seal. Origin: L, a seal, fr. Gr. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocacean | <zoology> Any species of Phoca; a seal. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocal | <zoology> Pertaining to seals. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocenic | <chemistry> Of or pertaining to dolphin oil or porpoise oil; said of an acid (called also delphinic acid) subsequently found to be identical with valeric acid. Origin: Gr. A porpoise. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocenin | <chemistry> See Delphin. Origin: Cf. F. Phocenine. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocine | <zoology> Of or pertaining to the seal tribe; phocal. Origin: L. Phoca a seal. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocodont | <zoology> One of the Phocodontia. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocodontia | <zoology> A group of extinct carnivorous whales. Their teeth had compressed and serrated crowns. It includes Squalodon and allied genera. Origin: NL, fr. Gr. A seal +, a tooth. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| phocomelia | A congenital malformation (birth defect) in which the hands and feet are attached to abbreviated arms and legs. The word phocomelia combines phoco- (seal) and melia (limb) to designate a limb like a seal's flipper, one consequence of exposure of the developing foetus to thalidomide. (12 Dec 1998) |
| phocomelic dwarfism | Dwarfism in which the diaphyses of the long bones are abnormally short or the intermediate parts of the limbs are absent. (05 Mar 2000) |