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ep·i·lep·sy

(ĕpə-lĕp′sē)

n. pl. ep·i·lep·sies

Any of various neurological disorders marked by sudden recurring attacks of motor, sensory, or cognitive dysfunction, with or without convulsive seizures or loss of consciousness. Also called seizure disorder.

[French épilepsie, from Latin epilēpsia, from Greek epilēpsis, from epilambanein, epilēp-, to lay hold of : epi-, epi- + lambanein, to seize.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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