Amoks
(among members of certain southeast asian cultures) a psychic disturbance characterized by depression followed by a manic urge to murder.
.
run / go amok. (def 3).
noun
a state of murderous frenzy, originally observed among malays
adverb
run amok, to run about with or as if with a frenzied desire to kill
adv.
in verbal phrase run amok first recorded 1670s, from malay amuk “attacking furiously.” earlier the word was used as a noun or adjective meaning “a frenzied malay,” originally in the portuguese form amouco or amuco.
there are some of them [the javanese] who … go out into the streets, and kill as many persons as they meet. … these are called amuco. [“the book of duarte barbosa: an account of the countries bordering on the indian ocean and their inhabitants,” c.1516, english translation]
cf. amuck.
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