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lunatic

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lu⋅na⋅tic

  [loo-nuh-tik]
Use lunatic in a Sentence
–noun
1. an insane person.
2. a person whose actions and manner are marked by extreme eccentricity or recklessness.
3. Law. a person legally declared to be of unsound mind and who therefore is not held capable or responsible before the law.
–adjective
4. insane; demented; crazy.
5. characteristic or suggestive of lunacy; wildly or recklessly foolish.
6. designated for or used by the insane: a lunatic asylum.
7. gaily or lightheartedly mad, frivolous, eccentric, etc.: She has a lunatic charm that is quite engaging.
Also, lu⋅nat⋅i⋅cal  [loo-nat-i-kuhl] (for defs. 4, 5, 7).

Origin:
1250–1300; ME lunatik < OF lunatique < LL lūnāticus moonstruck. See Luna, -atic

Related forms:
lu⋅nat⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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lu·na·tic   (lōō'nə-tĭk)   
adj.  

  1. Suffering from lunacy; insane.

  2. Of or for the insane.

  3. Wildly or giddily foolish: a lunatic decision.

  4. Characterized by lunacy or eccentricity.


[Middle English lunatik, from Old French lunatique, from Latin lūnāticus, from lūna, moon; see leuk- in Indo-European roots.]
lu'na·tic n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

lunatic  (adj.)
c.1290, "affected with periodic insanity, dependent on the changes of the moon," from O.Fr. lunatique "insane," from L. lunaticus "moon-struck," from luna "moon." Cf. O.E. monseoc "lunatic," lit. "moon-sick;" M.H.G. lune "humor, temper, mood, whim, fancy" (Ger. Laune), from L. luna. Cf. also N.T. Gk. seleniazomai "be epileptic," from selene "moon." The noun meaning "lunatic person" is first recorded 1377. Lunatic fringe (1913) was apparently coined by U.S. politician Theodore Roosevelt. Lunatic soup (1933) was Australian slang for "alcoholic drink."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: lu·na·tic
Pronunciation: 'lü-n&-tik
Function: noun
: an insane person —used esp. formerly —lunatic adjective
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1lu·na·tic
Pronunciation: 'lü-n&-"tik
Function: adjective
: INSANE; also : used for the care of insane individuals

Main Entry: 2lunatic
Function: noun
: an insane individual
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Bible Dictionary

Lunatic

probably the same as epileptic, the symptoms of which disease were supposed to be more aggravated as the moon increased. In Matt. 4:24 "lunatics" are distinguished from demoniacs. In 17:15 the name "lunatic" is applied to one who is declared to have been possessed. (See DAEMONIAC.)

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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