Alcoholism

3 definitions found

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

  alcoholism \al"co*hol*ism\ ([a^]l"k[-o]*h[o^]l*[i^]z'm), n. [Cf.
     F. alcoolisme.]
     1. (Med.) Chronic excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages
        that leads to social, occupational, psychological and
        physiological problems.
        [AS]


  
     2. (Med.) Psychological and physiological dependence on
        alcohol; sudden cessation of drinking may lead to
        withdrawal symptoms.
        [AS + PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  alcoholism
       n 1: Habitual intoxication; prolonged and excessive intake of
            alcoholic drinks leading to a breakdown in health and an
            addiction to alcohol such that abrupt deprivation leads
            to severe withdrawal symptoms [syn: {alcohol addiction},
             {inebriation}, {drunkenness}]
       2: an intense persistent desire to drink alcoholic beverages to
          excess [syn: {dipsomania}, {potomania}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  37 Moby Thesaurus words for "alcoholism":
     a habit, acquired tolerance, acute alcoholism, addictedness,
     addiction, alcoholic addiction, alcoholic psychosis,
     amphetamine withdrawal symptoms, barbiturate addiction,
     barbiturism, bottle nose, chain smoking, chronic alcoholism,
     cocainism, crash, craving, delirium tremens, dependence,
     dipsomania, drug addiction, drug culture, drug dependence,
     ebriosity, grog blossom, habitual drunkenness, habituation,
     heavy drinking, nicotine addiction, oenomania, oinomania,
     pathological drunkenness, physical dependence, problem drinking,
     psychological dependence, tolerance, withdrawal sickness,
     withdrawal symptoms