WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cat•a•lep•sy
(kat′l ep′sē),USA pronunciation n. [Pathol., Psychiatry.]
cat′a•lep′tic, adj., n.
cat′a•lep′ti•cal•ly, adv.
- Pathology, Psychiatrya physical condition usually associated with catatonic schizophrenia, characterized by suspension of sensation, muscular rigidity, fixity of posture, and often by loss of contact with environment.
- Medieval Latin
- Greek katálēpsis seizure (akin to katalambánein to hold down), equivalent. to kata- cata- + lêpsis a grasping (lēp-, variant stem of lambánein to grasp + -sis -sis); replacing Middle English cathalempsia
- Medieval Latin catalēpsia, variant of Late Latin catalēpsis
- 1350–1400
cat′a•lep′ti•cal•ly, adv.
'cataleptic' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):