narcolepsy

noun

nar·​co·​lep·​sy ˈnär-kə-ˌlep-sē How to pronounce narcolepsy (audio)
plural narcolepsies
: a condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep often occurring with cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations
narcoleptic adjective

Examples of narcolepsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For Shand, who has narcolepsy with cataplexy, the years since her diagnosis have brought waves of frustration and grief but also a sense of loneliness. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024 One lot of a drug used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy has been recalled because the medication in the bottle might not match the medication on the label. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2024 Most people, she’s found, don’t really know what narcolepsy is. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024 On Wednesday, the agency said in a release that Teva Pharmaceuticals — maker of Adderall, a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy — has cited manufacturing delays for the shortage and difficulty meeting a surge in demand. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 13 Oct. 2022 What are the different types of narcolepsy? Sarah Fielding, Health.com, 7 Dec. 2021 To treat anxiety, depression, narcolepsy and other neuropsychiatric diseases, millions of patients worldwide take medication that targets the transport of dopamine and other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and serotonin, but their use is not stigmatized by recreational misuse. Habibeh Khoshbouei, Fortune Well, 7 Apr. 2023 How are type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy treated? Sarah Fielding, Health.com, 7 Dec. 2021 In Paradise season 6, recently appeared on the most recent episode of Mouthing Off with Olivia Caridi to talk about everything from her narcolepsy to her experience on The Bachelor to her recent breakup with ex-fiancée and fellow BIP contestant Chris Bukowski. Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'narcolepsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French narcolepsie, from narco- narco- + -lepsie -lepsy

Note: The French word was introduced by the physician and neurologist Jean-Baptiste Gélineau in "De la narcolepsie," Gazette des hôpitaux civils et militaires, 53e année, no. 76 (1er juillet 1880), p. 626: "Je propose de donner le nom de narcolepsie (de νάρκωσις, somnolence, et λαμβάνειν, saisir, prendre) à une névrose rare ou du moins peu connue jusqu'à ce jour, caractérisée par un besoin de dormir impérieux, subit et de courte durée, se reproduisant à des intervalles plus ou moins rapprochées." ("I propose to give the name narcolepsy (from nárkōsis, drowsiness, and lambánein, to seize, take) to a neurosis that is rare, or at least little known up to now, characterized by a pressing urge to sleep, sudden and of short duration, reoccurring in more or less close succession.")

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of narcolepsy was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near narcolepsy

Cite this Entry

“Narcolepsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcolepsy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

narcolepsy

noun
nar·​co·​lep·​sy ˈnär-kə-ˌlep-sē How to pronounce narcolepsy (audio)
plural narcolepsies
: a condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep often occurring with cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations compare hypersomnia sense 2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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