Agyrophobia
Agyrophobia: Abnormal and persistent fear of crossing streets, highways and other thoroughfares; fear of thoroughfares themselves. Sufferers experience anxiety even though they realize that streets, highways and other thoroughfares pose no threat commensurate with their fear.
Formed from the Greek “gyrus” (turning or whirling) and the Greek “phobos” (fear). The first letter, “a,” is privative–that is, it creates a negative. Thus, an agyrophobiac shuns or avoids the whirl of traffic.
Read Also:
- Aerobic
Aerobic: Oxygen-requiring. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen to grow. Aerobic exercise requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body’s increased oxygen demand.
- Aer-, aero-
Aer-, aero-: Prefix indicating air or gas, such as aerogastria (excess stomach gas).
- AED (automated external defibrillator)
AED (automated external defibrillator): See: Automated external defibrillator.
- AID (artificial insemination by donor)
AID (artificial insemination by donor): A procedure in which a fine catheter (tube) is inserted through the cervix (the natural opening of the uterus) into the uterus (the womb) to deposit a sperm sample from a donor other than the woman’s mate directly into the uterus. The purpose of this procedure is to achieve fertilization […]
- AIDS
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a syndrome caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with ensuing compromise of the body’s immune system. Features include deficiency of certain types of leukocytes, especially T cells; infection with opportunistic infections that take advantage of the impaired immune response, such as tuberculosis, bacterial pneumonia, human herpes virus, or toxoplasmosis; […]