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hyp·no·sis

(hĭp-nōsĭs)

n. pl. hyp·no·ses (-sēz)

1. An artificially induced altered state of consciousness, characterized by heightened suggestibility and receptivity to direction.

2. Hypnotism.

3. A sleeplike condition.

[New Latin hypnōsis, from Greek hupnoun, to put to sleep; see HYPNOTIC.]

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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