Obsession

Obsession
Obsession Ob*ses"sion, n. [L. obsessio: cf. F. obsession.] 1. The act of besieging. [archaic] --Johnson. [1913 Webster]

2. The state of being besieged; -- used specifically of a person beset by a spirit from without. [archaic] --Tylor. [1913 Webster]

Whether by obsession or possession, I will not determine. --Burton. [1913 Webster]

3. An excessive preoccupation of the thoughts or feelings; the persistent haunting or domination of the mind by a particular desire, idea, or image. [PJC]

4. Hence: Any driving motive; a compelling goal; -- not necessarily implying a negative judgment, as does sense 3; as, the coach was obsessed with winning the state championship [PJC]

5. Something that causes an obsession[3]. [PJC]

6. The state of being obsessed. [PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Obsession — Obsession …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • obsession — [ ɔpsesjɔ̃ ] n. f. • 1590; « siège » XVe; lat. obsessio 1 ♦ Vx État d une personne qu un démon obsède. On distinguait obsession et possession. ♢ (1690) Vx Action d importuner, d obséder; son résultat. « Il insistait, le lardait d une obsession de …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • obsession — Obsession. s. f. v. L action de celuy qui obsede. Il ne le quitte point, il ne s est jamais veu une pareille obsession …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Obsession — (lat.), Besessenheit, Besessensein; vgl. Besessene …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • obsession — I noun absorption, application, attraction, compulsion, craze, crotchet, dominating action, engrossment, exclusive attention, fanaticism, fancy, fascination, fetish, fixation, fixed idea, immersion, infatuation, irresistible impulse, mania,… …   Law dictionary

  • obsession — (n.) 1510s, action of besieging, from L. obsessionem (nom. obsessio) siege, noun of action from pp. stem of obsidere to besiege (see OBSESS (Cf. obsess)). Later, hostile action of an evil spirit (like possession but without the spirit actually… …   Etymology dictionary

  • obsession — [n] fixation; consumption with belief, desire attraction, ax to grind*, bug in ear*, case*, complex, compulsion, concrete idea, craze*, crush, delusion, enthusiasm, fancy, fascination, fetish, hang up*, idée fixe, infatuation, mania, monkey*,… …   New thesaurus

  • obsession — ► NOUN 1) the state of being obsessed. 2) an idea or thought that intrudes on someone s mind. DERIVATIVES obsessional adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • obsession — [əb sesh′ən] n. [L obsessio] 1. the act of an evil spirit in possessing or ruling a person 2. a) the fact or state of being obsessed with an idea, desire, emotion, etc. b) such a persistent idea, desire, emotion, etc., esp. one that cannot be… …   English World dictionary

  • Obsession — Contents 1 Literature 2 Film 3 Television 4 Music …   Wikipedia

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