hypnosis

From modern scholarly Ancient Greek ὕπνωσις (húpnōsis), which formation closes the derivational gap between the ancient words ὑπνόω (hupnóō, “I put to sleep”) and ὑπνωτικός (hupnōtikós, “sleep-inducing, soporific”). Ultimately traces back to ὕπνος (húpnos, “sleep”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /hɪpˈnoʊsɪs/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -əʊsɪs

hypnosis (countable and uncountable, plural hypnoses)

1. A trancelike state, artificially induced, in which a person has a heightened suggestibility, and in which suppressed memories may be experienced.
2. Any of various sleep-like conditions.
3. The art or skill of hypnotism.

• “hypnosis”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “hypnosis”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

• hyposins