Meanings
plural selenophobias
- countableuncountableAn abnormal or irrational fear of the Moon.
- countableuncountableA fear of selenium due to its perceived status as a carcinogen and toxin.
1 more example
[…]the chronic use of dietary selenium supplementation or chronic ingestion of drinking water containing selenium slightly above normal or safe levels can facilitate the development of diabetes type 2 and neurodegenerative diseases. These observations do not indicate that we have returned to the era of selenophobia (the fear of selenium observed in the 20th century), but we have to be much more critical about the intentional or unintentional chronic use of selenium.
2017, Joao B. T. Rocha, Claudia S. Oliveira, Pablo A. Nogara, “Toxicology and Anticancer Activity of Synthetic Organoselenium Compounds”, in Organoselenium Compounds in Biology and Medicine, Royal Society of Chemistry, page 349Antonyms: selenophilia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA fear of selenium due to its perceived status as a carcinogen and toxin.
Origin
- Ancient GreekΣελήνη“Moon”
- Englishselenophobia
From seleno- + -phobia, from Ancient Greek Σελήνη (Selḗnē, “Moon”) + φόβος (phóbos, “fear”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
selenophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selenophobia
“selenophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selenophobia. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “selenophobia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selenophobia.
Source: selenophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.