| Title | lunacy |
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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary lu·na·cy (plural -cies) ETYMOLOGY lunatic DATE 1541 1. a. insanity b. intermittent insanity once believed to be related to phases of the moon 2. wild foolishness : extravagant folly 3. a foolish act English Etymology lunacy 1540s, "condition of being a lunatic," formed in English from lunatic (q.v.). Originally in ref. to intermittent periods of insanity, such as were believed to be triggered by the moon's cycle. The O.E. equivalent was monaðseocnes "month-sickness." Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 lunacy lu·nacy / 5lu:nEsi / noun[U] 1. behaviour that is stupid or crazy 愚蠢的行为；疯狂 SYN madness :
It's sheer lunacy driving in such weather. 天气这样糟糕还开车,真是疯了。 2. (old-fashioned) mental illness 精神病；精神错乱；精神失常 SYN madness
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition n. Function: noun 1 Synonyms: INSANITY 1, aberration, alienation, derangement, distraction, insaneness, madness, psychopathy, unbalance Related Words: absurdity, folly, foolery, foolishness; asininity, fatuity, inanity, ineptitude, stupidity 2 Synonyms: FOOLISHNESS , absurdity, craziness, folly, inanity, insanity, preposterousness, senselessness, silliness, witlessnessWebster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged lu·na·cy \ˈlünəsē, -si\ noun (-es) Etymology: lunatic + -cy 1. a. : insanity interrupted by lucid intervals that was formerly supposed to be influenced by the changes of the moon < grating so harshly all his days of quiet with turbulent and dangerous lunacy — Shakespeare > b. : any form of insanity; also : the state of being a lunatic < if they examined him for lunacy, they'd have him in a straitjacket in two minutes — Irwin Shaw > c. : insanity amounting to lack of capacity or of responsibility in the eyes of the law but in some states not including idiocy 2. a. : wild foolishness : extravagant folly < the Florida boom was also the first lunacy to feel the full power of the press agent — Alva Johnston > b. : absurdity , stupidity < the lunacy of the … partisan political debate over Far Eastern policy — H.R.Isaacs > < the economic lunacy of a divided national structure — Emrys Hughes > c. : gay madness : giddiness < for handsome lunacy … a cap with white ostrich spilling over the face — Lois Long > Synonyms: see insanity |
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