Tarantism

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Tarantism \Tar"ant*ism\, n. [It. tarantismo: cf. F. tarentisme.
     See {Tarantula}.] (Med.)
     A nervous affection producing melancholy, stupor, and an
     uncontrollable desire to dance. It was supposed to be
     produced by the bite of the tarantula, and considered to be
     incapable of cure except by protracted dancing to appropriate


     music. [Written also {tarentism}.]
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  tarantism
       n : a nervous disorder characterized by an uncontrollable
           impulse to dance; popularly attributed to bite of the
           southern European tarantula or wolf spider