tarantism
(noun) a nervous disorder characterized by an uncontrollable impulse to dance; popularly attributed to bite of the southern European tarantula or wolf spider
Source: WordNet® 3.1
tarantism (usually uncountable, plural tarantisms)
An extreme urge to dance, popularly thought to have been caused by the bite of a tarantula (Lycosa tarantula) and prevalent in southern Italy in the 15th through 17th centuries.
Synonyms: choreomania, dancing mania
• tintamars
Source: Wiktionary
Tar"ant*ism, n. Etym: [It. tarantismo: cf. F. tarentisme. See Tarantula.] (Med.)
Definition: A nervous affection producing melancholy, stupor, and an uncontrollable desire to dance. It was supposed to be produced by the bite of the tarantula, and considered to be incapable of cure except by protraced dancing to appropriate music. [Written also tarentism.]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
28 December 2024
(noun) small asexual fruiting body resembling a cushion or blister consisting of a mat of hyphae that is produced on a host by some fungi
The world’s most expensive coffee costs more than US$700 per kilogram. Asian palm civet – a cat-like creature in Indonesia, eats fruits, including select coffee cherries. It excretes partially digested seeds that produce a smooth, less acidic brew of coffee called kopi luwak.
