See coulrophobia on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "unknown"
},
"expansion": "unknown",
"name": "unknown"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "grc",
"3": "κωλοβαθριστής",
"4": "",
"5": "one who goes on stilts"
},
"expansion": "Ancient Greek κωλοβαθριστής (kōlobathristḗs, “one who goes on stilts”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "",
"3": "phobia",
"t2": "fear of"
},
"expansion": "+ -phobia (“fear of”)",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Coined in the late 1980s or 1990s, of unknown origin, appearing first, without further explanation, in lists of phobias circulating on the Internet. First use appears c. 1997 according to the OED. According to a widespread theory the term is supposedly based on Ancient Greek κωλοβαθριστής (kōlobathristḗs, “one who goes on stilts”) (from κωλόβαθρον (kōlóbathron, “stilt”), from κῶλον (kôlon, “limb”) + βάθρον (báthron, “something to stand on”), allegedly chosen for lack of an obvious Ancient Greek equivalent of \"clown\", or with some supposed sense of \"stilt-walker\" (because earlier clowns used to walk on stilts in their performances), + -phobia (“fear of”) suffix. If true, the literal meaning of coulrophobia would be either \"fear of limbs\" or \"fear of stilt-walkers\". This theory fails to explain the substitution of ou for o and of lro for lo.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "coulrophobia (uncountable)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English ghost words",
"parents": [
"Ghost words",
"Terms by etymology"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms suffixed with -phobia",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Hebrew terms with redundant script codes",
"parents": [
"Terms with redundant script codes",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Esperanto translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with German translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Greek translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Hebrew translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Italian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Korean translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Phobias",
"orig": "en:Phobias",
"parents": [
"Fear",
"Emotions",
"Mind",
"Human",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1999 February, “February: This month's marvels, musts, and misses”, in Condé Nast Traveler, volume 34, page 103:",
"text": "[…] to develop coulrophobia. On the seventh, clowns from around the world […] congregate at London's Holy Trinity Church for the annual Grimaldi Memorial Service.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2002 Jared Paul Stern, with Paula Froelich and Chris Wilson, \"Send out the Clowns\", Page Six (NYT)",
"text": "Clowns are no laughing matter to Sean \"Puffy\" Combs. The swaggering rap royal is widely reported to suffer from coulrophobia, an irrational fear of the red-nosed, versized-shoe-wearing, greasepainted circus buffoons."
},
{
"ref": "2003, Andy Field, Graham Hole, How to Design and Report Experiments, page 257:",
"text": "⁵Unfortunately, the first time they attempted the study, the clown accidentally burst one of the balloons. The noise frightened the children and they associated that fear response with the clown. All 15 children are currently in therapy for coulrophobia!",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2004, Phineas Mollod, Jason Tesauro, The Modern Lover: A Playbook for Suitors, Spouses & Ringless Carousers, page 39:",
"text": "After you plug in your wish list and dating criteria, search results spit out matches; it’s like scanning a room of a thousand and pinpointing the ten who share your favorite author and chronic coulrophobia (fear of clowns).",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2006, Crimson de la Voire, Crimson’s Erotica: Volume One — A Collection of Stories About Submission and Pleasure, page 35:",
"text": "The ironic twist is that he recently admitted to a possible onset of coulrophobia.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The fear of clowns."
],
"id": "en-coulrophobia-en-noun-s7~3Xsht",
"links": [
[
"clown",
"clown"
]
],
"related": [
{
"word": "coulrophilia"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"humorous"
],
"word": "bozophobia"
},
{
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "clownophobia"
}
],
"tags": [
"uncountable"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "xiǎochǒu kǒngjùzhèng",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "小丑恐惧症"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "klaŭnofobio"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "koulrofobio"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "coulrophobie"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Coulrophobie"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "kloounofovía",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "κλοουνοφοβία"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "פַּחַד מלֵיצָנֵים"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "coulrofobia"
},
{
"alt": "ピエロきょうふしょう",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "piero kyōfushō",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "ピエロ恐怖症"
},
{
"alt": "どうけきょうふしょう",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "dōkekyōfushō",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "道化恐怖症"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "gwangdaegongpojeung",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "광대공포증"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "hội chứng sợ chú hề"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "ám ảnh sợ hãi chú hề"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "sợ hãi chú hề"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "sợ chú hề"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/kəʊl.ɹə.ˈfəʊ.bi.ə/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊbiə"
}
],
"word": "coulrophobia"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "unknown"
},
"expansion": "unknown",
"name": "unknown"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "grc",
"3": "κωλοβαθριστής",
"4": "",
"5": "one who goes on stilts"
},
"expansion": "Ancient Greek κωλοβαθριστής (kōlobathristḗs, “one who goes on stilts”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "",
"3": "phobia",
"t2": "fear of"
},
"expansion": "+ -phobia (“fear of”)",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Coined in the late 1980s or 1990s, of unknown origin, appearing first, without further explanation, in lists of phobias circulating on the Internet. First use appears c. 1997 according to the OED. According to a widespread theory the term is supposedly based on Ancient Greek κωλοβαθριστής (kōlobathristḗs, “one who goes on stilts”) (from κωλόβαθρον (kōlóbathron, “stilt”), from κῶλον (kôlon, “limb”) + βάθρον (báthron, “something to stand on”), allegedly chosen for lack of an obvious Ancient Greek equivalent of \"clown\", or with some supposed sense of \"stilt-walker\" (because earlier clowns used to walk on stilts in their performances), + -phobia (“fear of”) suffix. If true, the literal meaning of coulrophobia would be either \"fear of limbs\" or \"fear of stilt-walkers\". This theory fails to explain the substitution of ou for o and of lro for lo.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "coulrophobia (uncountable)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "coulrophilia"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English ghost words",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Ancient Greek",
"English terms suffixed with -phobia",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with unknown etymologies",
"English uncountable nouns",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Hebrew terms with redundant script codes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned",
"Rhymes:English/əʊbiə",
"Rhymes:English/əʊbiə/5 syllables",
"Terms with Esperanto translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Greek translations",
"Terms with Hebrew translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations",
"Terms with Korean translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"Terms with Vietnamese translations",
"en:Phobias"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1999 February, “February: This month's marvels, musts, and misses”, in Condé Nast Traveler, volume 34, page 103:",
"text": "[…] to develop coulrophobia. On the seventh, clowns from around the world […] congregate at London's Holy Trinity Church for the annual Grimaldi Memorial Service.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2002 Jared Paul Stern, with Paula Froelich and Chris Wilson, \"Send out the Clowns\", Page Six (NYT)",
"text": "Clowns are no laughing matter to Sean \"Puffy\" Combs. The swaggering rap royal is widely reported to suffer from coulrophobia, an irrational fear of the red-nosed, versized-shoe-wearing, greasepainted circus buffoons."
},
{
"ref": "2003, Andy Field, Graham Hole, How to Design and Report Experiments, page 257:",
"text": "⁵Unfortunately, the first time they attempted the study, the clown accidentally burst one of the balloons. The noise frightened the children and they associated that fear response with the clown. All 15 children are currently in therapy for coulrophobia!",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2004, Phineas Mollod, Jason Tesauro, The Modern Lover: A Playbook for Suitors, Spouses & Ringless Carousers, page 39:",
"text": "After you plug in your wish list and dating criteria, search results spit out matches; it’s like scanning a room of a thousand and pinpointing the ten who share your favorite author and chronic coulrophobia (fear of clowns).",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2006, Crimson de la Voire, Crimson’s Erotica: Volume One — A Collection of Stories About Submission and Pleasure, page 35:",
"text": "The ironic twist is that he recently admitted to a possible onset of coulrophobia.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The fear of clowns."
],
"links": [
[
"clown",
"clown"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"humorous"
],
"word": "bozophobia"
},
{
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "clownophobia"
}
],
"tags": [
"uncountable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/kəʊl.ɹə.ˈfəʊ.bi.ə/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊbiə"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "xiǎochǒu kǒngjùzhèng",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "小丑恐惧症"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "klaŭnofobio"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "koulrofobio"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "coulrophobie"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Coulrophobie"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "kloounofovía",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "κλοουνοφοβία"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "פַּחַד מלֵיצָנֵים"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "coulrofobia"
},
{
"alt": "ピエロきょうふしょう",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "piero kyōfushō",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "ピエロ恐怖症"
},
{
"alt": "どうけきょうふしょう",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "dōkekyōfushō",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "道化恐怖症"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "gwangdaegongpojeung",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "광대공포증"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "hội chứng sợ chú hề"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "ám ảnh sợ hãi chú hề"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "sợ hãi chú hề"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "fear of clowns",
"word": "sợ chú hề"
}
],
"word": "coulrophobia"
}
Download raw JSONL data for coulrophobia meaning in All languages combined (6.1kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (d49d402 and a5af179). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.