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claustrophobia

The origin and history of claustrophobia.

Etymology

Built from Latin claustrum ("a locked or enclosed place") plus the Greek-derived suffix -phobia ("fear"); first recorded in medical writing in the 1870s.

Origin: Latin · First attested 1870

Class of 1870

claustrophobia first entered the language around 1870. Other words from the same year:

See the full Class of 1870 →
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Etymology: FreeDict original editorial.