conversion hysteria

noun Psychiatry.

a mental disorder in which physical symptoms, as paralysis or blindness, occur without apparent physical cause and instead appear to result from psychological conflict or need.

Also called conversion hysteria.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To conversion hysteria

Collins

World English Dictionary

conversion disorder

—n
	a psychological disorder in which severe physical symptoms like blindness or paralysis appear with no apparent physical cause

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10

Conversion hysteria is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

conversion disorder n.
A disorder involving the loss or alteration of physical functioning, such as paralysis, voice loss, tunnel vision, or seizures, that is the result of a psychological involvement or need rather than a physical illness or disease. Also called conversion hysteria, conversion hysteria neurosis, conversion reaction.

Matching Quote

"In general a thing is romantic when, as Aristotle would say, it is wonderful rather than probable; in other words, when it violates the normal sequence of cause and effect in favor of adventure. Here is the fundamental contrast between the words classic and romantic which meets us at the outset and in some form or other persists in all uses of the word down to the present day. A thing is romantic when it is strange, unexpected, intense, superlative, extreme, unique, etc. A thing is classical, on the other hand, when it is not unique, but representative of a class. In this sense, medical men may speak correctly of a classic case of typhoid fever, or a classic case of hysteria. One is even justified in speaking of a classic example of romanticism. By an easy extension of meaning a thing is classical when it belongs to a high class or to the best class."

-Irving Babbitt

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