See Also: cathectic(medicine)
cathectic(dictionary)

symptom (iou) and cathectic (iou)


symptom (iou)



symptom noun. LME.
[medieval Latin synthoma from late Latin symptoma from Greek sumptoma chance, accident, mischance, from sumpiptein fall upon, happen to, formed as SYM- + piptein to fall.]
Medicine. A physical or mental phenomenon, circumstance, or change of condition arising from and accompanying a disorder and constituting evidence of it; a characteristic sign of a particular disease. Now spec. a subjective indication perceptible to the patient, as opp. to an objective one (cf. SIGN noun 6c). LME.
a. gen. A phenomenon or circumstance accompanying a condition, feeling, etc., and serving as evidence of it; a sign or indication of the existence of something. E17.
H. Carpenter His playing of the fool was a symptom..of pessimism. Gamut These incidents are symptoms of contemporary..society's deep-seated insecurity.
b. In neg. contexts: a slight or the least sign of something; a trace, a vestige. E18.
Horace Walpole Europe could scarce amass the symptom of a fleet.
Comb.: symptom complex, symptom group Medicine a set of symptoms occurring together and characterizing or constituting a particular disease.
symptomless adjective L19.
sympto'mology noun = SYMPTOMATOLOGY M19.

cathectic (iou)



cathectic adjective. E20.
[Greek kathektikos capable of holding.]
Psychology. Of or relating to cathexis.
cathect verb trans. [back-form.] charge (an idea, impulse, etc.) with mental energy or emotion M20.