nympholepsy 
Writers who labor to disenthrall us from the nympho- 
lepsy and illusions of the past. 
New Princeton Rev., II. 162. 
nympholept (nim'fo-lept), . [< ML. nympho- 
li-j>tiis (Stephaiii Thesaurus), < Gr. ny^&prrof, 
seized by nymphs, i. e. the Muses or inspir- 
ing powers of nature, rapt, inspired, < vi'ufyii, a 
nymph, Muse, + ?j?jrT<if, verbal adj. of 'Aa/i/iavfiv, 
/ /M/3, take, seize. See nympholepsy.'} One 
seized with ecstasy or frenzy; a person rapt or 
inspired. The explanation 'a person seized with mad- 
ness on having seen a nymph ' (see the quotations) is in- 
accurate. 
Those thatin Pagan days caught in forests a momentary 
glimpse of the nymphs and sylvan goddesses were struck 
with a hopeless passion ; they were nympholepts; the affec- 
tion, as well known as epilepsy, was called nympholepsy. 
De Quincey, Secret Societies, ii. 
The nympholept stands before his white ideal craving 
love; and it seems as if she will only grant pity and pardon. 
Domden, The Manhattan, III. 6. 
Of her [Italy's] own past, impassioned nympholept ! 
Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Windows, i. 
nympholeptic (nim-fo-lep'tik), a. [< nympho- 
lept + -ic.] Of, belonging to, or possessed by 
nympholepsy; ecstatic; frenzied; transported. 
Though my soul were nympholeptic, 
As I heard that virelay. 
Mrs. Browning, Lost Bower, st. 42. 
nymphomania (nim-fo-ma'ni-a), n. [NL., < 
Gr. v'ufi<t>q, a nymph, a bride, + fiavia, madness : 
see mania.~\ Morbid and uncontrollable sexual 
desire in women. 
nymphomaniac (nim-fo-ma'ui-ak), a. and n. 
I. . Same as nymphomaniacal. 
II. n. A woman who is affected with nympho- 
mania. 
nymphomaniacal (nim"fo-ma-m'a-kal), a. [< 
nymphomania + -ac + -ui.~\ Characterized by 
or suffering from nymphomania. 
nymphomanyt (nim'fo-ma-ni), n. [< NL. nym- 
phomania, q. v.] Same as nymphomania. 
Nymphon (nim'fon), n. [NL., < Gr. vv/i<t>uv, a 
bride-chamber, a temple of Bacchus, Demeter, 
or Persephone, < vv/iij>ri, 
a bride, a nymph : see 
nymph.'] The typical 
genus of the family 
Nymphonidie, having 
well-developed maudi- 
bles and five-jointed 
palpi. N, gracilis is a 
small European spe- 
cies, about J of an inch 
long. N. hamatum is a 
larger sea-spider. 
Nymphonacea (nim- 
fo-na'se-a), n. pi. 
[frL., < Nymphon + 
-acea.'} A name of the Pycnogonida, derived 
from the genus Nymphon. 
Nymphonidse (nim-fon'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < 
NympJwn + -idee. ] A family of the order Pycno- 
gonida or Podosomata, represented by the genus 
Nymphon. They are spider like animals, related to the 
pycnogonids, and like them sluggishly crawl upon marine 
plants or other submerged objects. They have very long 
legs, chelate cheliceres, and palps having from five to 
nine joints. 
4048 
nymphotomy (nim-fot'o-mi), . [< NL. nym- 
pha; < Gr. vi-u^ai, the nymphee, + -Tofiia, < re/i- 
vtiv, -ajiciv, cut.] In surg., the excision of the 
nymphse ; the circumcision of the female. 
nymyost, a. See nimious. 
nynd (nind), adv. A dialectal contraction of 
nigh-hand. N. and Q., 7th ser., VI. 174. 
Nyroca (ui-ro'ka), n. [NL. (Fleming, 1822), < 
Buss, nuiroku (nyrok), a goosander, merganser.] 
nystagmus 
shrubs of the polypetalous order Cornacece, the 
dogwood family, known by the imbricate pet- 
als and single or two-cleft style. There are 5 or 
White-eyed Pochard (Nyroca leitcofhthal 
A genus of sea-ducks of the family Anatida; and 
the subfamily Fuligulinai. N. ferruginea or N. 
leucophthalma, formerly Fuligula nyroca, is the 
common white-eyed pochard of Europe. 
nyrvylt, . A Middle English form of nwrvill. 
nyst, n. Same as ss 2 . 
nysetet, A Middle English form of nicety. 
Nysiinse (nis-i-I'ne), n. pi. [NL., < Nysius + 
-i<E.] A subfamily of Lygteidai represented 
chiefly by the genus Nysius. Also Nysiina. 
Nysius (nis'i-us), n. [NL. (Dallas, 1852), < Gr. 
Ni'CTraf, equiv. to Nvaalof, of Nysa, < Niira, Nysa, 
the name of several places associated with Bac- 
chus (Dionysus).] A genus of plant-bugs of 
destructor], a, leaf punctured by pupa : 
(Vertical lines show natural sizes.) 
Sea-spider (Nympho, 
turn). 
the heteropterous family Lygmida, usually of 
small size and dull colors, having veins 3 and 
4 of the membrane parallel to the base. It is a 
large and wide-spread genus, represented in most parts 
of the world. There are 12 species in North America, of 
which N. angitgtatus or dextructor is one of the most nox- 
ious, attacking a great varietyof garden-vegetable?. This 
is commonly called false chinch-buy, from its superficial 
resemblance to Blismts leucopterux, the true chinch-bug. 
Nyssa (nis'a), n. [NL. (Gronovius, 1737), < L. 
Aysa (Nyssa) = Gr. Ni>o-<z, the nurse or foster- 
mother of Bacchus; also the name of several 
towns.] A genus of dicotyledonous trees or 
Tupelo or Sour-gum Tree (.Nyssa sy/vattca'}. 
i, branch with fruits ; 2, branch xvith male flowers ; a, a male flower. 
6 species, of temperate and warmer North America and of 
Asia. They bear alternate undivided leaves, small flowers 
in heads or racemes, and small oblong drupes. See black- 
gum, gumS, 8, Ogeechee lime (under lime^\ pejiperidge, and 
tupelo. 
Nysson (iiis'on), n. [NL. (Latreille, 1796), < 
Gr. vivaov, ppr. of vvaat.iv, prick, spur, pierce.] 
The typical genus of Nyssonidte. It is a widely 
distributed genus, of which 17 species have been described 
from the United States. They have the habit, anomalous 
among hymenopters, of feigning death when disturbed. 
nyssonian (ni-so'ni-an), a. and . I. a. Per- 
taining to the Nyssonince. 
II. n. A member of the Nyssonince. 
Nyssonidae (ni-son'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < Nysson 
+ -id(E.~\ A family of fossorial hymenopterous 
insects, founded by Leach in 1819 on the genus 
Nysson. They have the abdomen ovoid-conic, widest at 
base and not petiolate ; the head moderate in size ; the 
anti-nine filiform ; the mandibles not strongly notched at 
the outer base ; the labrum short, scarcely or not exserted ; 
and the marginal cell not appendiculate. Thia family is 
notable for the many instances of mimicry which its spe- 
cies afford. There are 7 genera and from 50 to 60 species 
in North America. 
Nysspninse (nis-o-m'ne), n. pi. [NL., < Nysson 
+ -inte.'] The Nyssonidai as a subfamily of 
Crabronidae. 
nyssonine (nis'o-nin), a. Of or pertaining to 
the Nyssoninw. Also nyssonian. 
nystagmus (nis-tag'mus), . [NL., < Gr. vv- 
ara-yfidf, a nodding, sleep, < mara&iv, nod, be 
sleepy, nap. Cf. vevarafrtv, nod, vevem, nod, = 
~L.*nuere (incomp.), nod: see nutant.~\ Inmed., 
involuntary lateral oscillatory (sometimes ro- 
tatory, rarely vertical) motion of the eyes. 
Miners' nystagmus, nystagmus developed in miners, 
especially when they work in a dim light 
