cynophobia
/ˌsaɪnoʊˈfoʊbiə/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
κύων (kýōn) + φόβος (phóbos) — dog + fear
Overview
Meaning Now
- An intense, persistent, and irrational fear of dogs.
Literal older meaning
fear of dogs
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
cynophobia
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term was constructed during the 19th-century boom in psychiatric terminology, using classical Greek roots to categorize specific psychological disorders. It specifically identifies a type of animal phobia recognized within the taxonomy of anxiety disorders.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
κύων (kýōn)
“dog”
- Ancient Greek
φόβος (phóbos)
“fear, flight”
- 19th century English
cynophobia
“morbid fear of dogs”
Coined via the standard Greek-derived naming convention for phobias.
Connections
Word parts
cyno-
prefix
relating to a dog
-phobia
suffix
fear of
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
κύων
dog
Latin
canis
dog
Explore next
Related to cynophobia
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.