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fren·zy

(frĕnzē)

n. pl. fren·zies

1. A state of violent mental agitation or wild excitement.

2. Temporary madness or delirium.

3. A mania; a craze.

tr.v. fren·zied, fren·zy·ing, fren·zies

To drive into a frenzy.

[Middle English frenesie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin phrenēsia, from Latin phrenēsis, back-formation from phrenēticus, delirious; see FRENETIC.]

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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