laudanum

n. a mixture of alcohol and opium once commonly used as an analgesic and anesthetic. The mixture was introduced around 1530 by German alchemist and physician Paracelsus (1493–1541) and was widely consumed in 18th-century England.

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Psychology term of the day

November 22nd 2024

aggressive character

a personality characterized by a hostile or competitive attitude to others and the pursuit of power, prestige, and material possessions. Karen D. Horney defined the development of such a character as one of three basic neurotic trends used as a defense against basic anxiety. Compare compliant character; detached character.