anatripsology

A1N1A1T1R1I1P3S1O1L1O1G2Y4

noun

The study or application of friction or rubbing as a remedy.

OriginItalian anatripsologia ← Ancient Greek ἀνάτριψις →
Scrabble 19
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounanatripsology (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineThe study or application of friction or rubbing as a remedy.

    He was succeeded by one of his five doctor sons, Walter, a protagonist of the art of anatripsology. Rubbing with brandy had quite a vogue in Malvern.

    1953, W. H. McMenemey, “The Water Doctors of Malvern, with Special Reference to the Years 1842 to 1872”, in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, →PMID, page 7
    2 more examples

    […] They both agree on proposing, according to the dictates of ‘‘Anatripsology’’ [19], to apply frictions of ‘‘contused opium’’ and ‘‘milled nigricant pasque flower powder’’ dissolved in gastric juice extracted, in conformity with the Spallanzani method, from the starving stomachs of craws. […] […] All the therapies of the time are mentioned: emetics, musk, opium, nappello, giusquiamo, Brera’s anatripsology and electric and chemical-gas applications. […]

    2010, Enrico Granieri et al., “An autopathography of tic douloureux at the beginning of the nineteenth century”, in Neurological Sciences, volume 31, number 6, Springer, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 852, 856

    In order for the pregnant woman to relax and to be calm at every stage of labor, a 5-10 minute massage was applied to her shoulders, back, waist, abdomen and legs with small touches, effleurage and anatripsology.

    2021, Nergis Karaman, Yeşim Ceylanteki, “Effect of nursing support gıven to pregnant women on labor pain and birth expectancy”, in African Journal of Reproductive Health, volume 25, number 6, →ISSN, page 118

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀνάτριψις“rubbing”
  2. Italiananatripsologia
  3. Englishanatripsology

Borrowed from Italian anatripsologia, coined by Valeriano Luigi Brera in 1799, from Ancient Greek ἀνάτριψις (anátripsis, “rubbing”) + -λογῐ́ᾱ (-logĭ́ā).

More words from Italian, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Portuguese anatripsologia
  • anatripsologiathe study of friction or rubbing as a remedy
Swedish anatripsologi
  • anatripsologithe study of friction or rubbing as a remedy
Cite this entry
APA

anatripsology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anatripsology

MLA

“anatripsology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anatripsology. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anatripsology,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anatripsology.

Source: anatripsology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.