Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Word of the Day

ochlophobia \ok-luh-FOH-bee-uh\,
noun:
Psychiatry. an abnormal fear of crowds.

"The man's got pedophobia, homichlophobia, dromophobia, xenophobia, ochlophobia, haphephobia, planomania, kleptophobia, thanatophobia, he's an onychophagist, he's got gerontophobia, but notice he has no dysphagia…"
-- George Friel, "Mr. Alfred, M.A.," 1972

As the plane leveled her discomfort ebbed. Agoraphobia. Demophobia. Enochlophobia. Ochlophobia. She knew the terms but refused to label her condition a phobia.
-- Rick Mofina, "The Panic Zone," 2010

Ochlophobia entered English in the late 1800s from the Greek roots meaning "mob" and "fear."

Dictionary.com