panic
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpænɪk/
rhymes: -ænɪk
Forms: form: more panic
form: most panic
form: panick
Etymology: The adjective is borrowed from Middle French panique, a word itself borrowed from Ancient Greek πανικός (panikós, “pertaining to Pan”); Pan, the Greek god of fields and woods, was believed to be the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots.
Adjective sense 3 (“pertaining to or resulting from overpowering fear or fright”) is partly an attributive use of the noun.
The noun is derived from the adjective, while the verb is derived from the noun. Verb sense 1.3 (“to highly amuse, entertain, or impress (an audience watching a performance or show”) is derived from noun sense 4 (“a highly amusing or entertaining performer, performance, or show”).
Senses: topics: human-sciences
mysticism
mythology
philosophy
sciences
synonyms: word: Pandean
word: panical
glosses: Alternative letter-case form of Panic (“pertaining to the Greek god Pan”).
examples: text: All things were there in a diſordered confuſion, and in a confuſed furie, vntill ſuch time as by prayers and ſacrifices they had appeaſed the wrath of their Gods. They call it to this day, the P[a]nike terror.
ref: 1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Feare”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 28:
text: So long as Epaminondas was captaine general of the Thebans, there was never ſeene in his campe any of theſe ſudden fooliſh frights, without any certeine cauſe, which they call Panique Terrores.
ref: 1603, Plutarch, “The Apophthegmes or Notable Sayings of Kings, Princes and Great Captains”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 425:
text: But why dwell I ſo intolerable long about Tolerations, I hope my feares are but panick, againſt which I have a double cordiall.
ref: 1647, Theodore de la Guard [pseudonym; Nathaniel Ward], The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America. […], London: […] J[ohn] D[ever] & R[obert] I[bbitson] for Stephen Bowtell, […], →OCLC, page 11:
text: [L]ike a couragious Captain does all he can to imbody his Army; he perſwades, threats, oppoſes, and cries aloud, that albeit Bickermanſe was ſlain yet He was living; yea that many as good Officers as Bickermanſe were in the Army; But in vain; for ſuch was their diſorder and pannick fear, that impoſſible it was to revoke them: […]
ref: 1677, Tho[mas] Herbert, Some Yeares Travels into Divers Parts of Africa, and Asia the Great. […], 4th edition, London: […] R. Everingham, for R. Scot, T. Basset, J[ohn] Wright, and R. Chiswell, →OCLC, page 81:
text: Suſpicion, with Sedition join'd, are near;
 And Rumors rais'd, and Murmurs mix'd, and Panique Fear.
ref: 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Twelfth Book of Ovid his Metamorphoses, Wholly Translated”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 422:
text: At that moment a flight of birds passed close overhead, and at the whirr of their wings a panic fear seized her.
ref: 1978, Lawrence Durrell, “Lord Galen’s Farewell”, in Livia: Or Buried Alive […] (The Avignon Quintet; 2), London; Boston, Mass.: Faber and Faber, →ISBN, page 239:
text: Terrified, he looked down from the skies
 At the waves, and panic blackness filled his eyes.
ref: 1993, Ovid, “Book Two”, in James Michie, transl., The Art of Love, paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: The Modern Library, published 2002, →ISBN:
qualifier: by extension (see the etymology)
synonyms: word: panical
glosses: Of fear, fright, etc: overwhelming or sudden.
examples: text: [H]e perceived how that many women followed his ſouldiers, ſome being their wives, and ſome wanting nothing to make them ſo but marriage, […] The King coming to a great river, after his men and the wagons were paſſed over, cauſed the bridge to be broken down, hoping ſo to be rid of theſe feminine impediments; but they on a ſudden liſt up a panick ſhrick which pierced the skies, and the ſouldiers hearts on the other ſide of the river, who inſtantly vowed not to ſtirre a foot farther, except with baggage, and that the women might be fetch'd over, which was done accordingly.
ref: 1642, Thomas Fuller, “The Life of Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden”, in The Holy State, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel for John Williams, […], →OCLC, book IV, paragraph 5, page 332:
text: No Dangers threatned, but they ſmil'd to meet
 The pannick French-men trembling at their Feet.
ref: 1705, [Daniel Defoe], The D[utch] Deputies. A Satyr, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 5:
qualifier: by extension (see the etymology)
glosses: Pertaining to or resulting from overwhelming fear or fright.
Derived terms: word: panical