water fear

plural water fears · alternative water-fear

1. countableuncountablechemistryA lack of affinity for water; hydrophobia.

   This symptom which gave rise to the term hydrophobia or water-fear is the foundation of the cold water "cure."

   1958, Louisiana Folklore Miscellany - Volume 1, Issues 3-4, page 54

   2 more examples

   Both men and animals afflicted with rabies dread the appearance of water or any other liquid; hence the term, hydrophobia, or water-fear.

   1921, Harold Melvin Stanford, The Standard Reference Work

   Those colloids which absorb considerable water are hydrophyllic colloids, that is, water-fond colloids; while those which absorb but little or none are hydrophobic colloids, that is, water-fear colloids.

   1926, Principles of General Pharmacy and Chemistry

2. countableuncountableUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see water, fear.

   […] flick of hair a silly song waving out of the waterfear.

   1969, Nimrod - Volume 7, Issue 1, page 19

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   One type of water fear harbored by many youngsters is directly traceable to an unfortunate childhood experience.

   1947, The Journal of Health and Physical Education, volume 18, page 304

   This latter possibility seems particularly plausible from the perspective of the nonassociative model of water fear described previously.

   2001, Michael W. Vasey, Mark R. Dadds, The Developmental Psychopathology of Anxiety, page 195

   The Lewis (1974) study of water fears also tested another variant of the modeling approach, participant modeling, in which the model carries out the feared activity with the fearful person.

   2004, John R. Weisz, Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents

   We are not aware of any careful cross-cultural or developmental work showing that water fear is innate, however.

   2006, Michelle Genevieve Craske, Dirk Hermans, Debora Vansteenwegen, Fear and Learning: From Basic Processes to Clinical Implications

   Although the modeling-plus-participation treatment was the most effective in the reduction of water fears, both modeling alone and participation alone were more effective than a no-treatment control condition.

   2013, Benjamin B. Lahey, Advances in Clinical Child Psychology, volume 1, page 310