adjective
hysterical
Relating to the obsolete diagnosis of hysteria.
The old medical chart describes her symptoms as hysterical.
Etymology
The root means womb and reflects the obsolete theory behind the diagnosis hysteria. The adjective here belongs to that historical medical classification.
More examples
- The historian examines outdated accounts of hysterical paralysis.
- In this nineteenth-century textbook, hysterical attacks fall under the diagnosis of hysteria.
- The museum display explains why doctors once called these symptoms hysterical.
Forms
hysterical
hysteria noun — An obsolete diagnosis of supposed nervous disorder.