Bibliomanias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An excessive enthusiasm for collecting and owning books
2. a compulsive obsession with amassing a large library of literature
3. a psychological condition characterized by an insatiable desire to acquire books regardless of their value or content

Etymology: "Bibliomanias" is simply the plural of "bibliomania," so it refers to several such obsessions, or to the condition in its plural sense. The base word is built from "biblio-," from Greek "biblion" meaning "book" (a diminutive of "biblos," papyrus or scroll), joined to "-mania," from Greek "mania," meaning madness or frenzied passion. Put together, the word describes an intense, almost frenzied craving for books. The pattern is a deliberate modern construction, following the same model as older words like "kleptomania" and "nymphomania," in which a Greek combining form is attached to "-mania" to name a compulsion. Because the parts are classical but the compound itself was assembled in modern times, it reflects the way scholars and writers in the 18th and 19th centuries coined names for specific obsessions rather than any ancient usage.

Synonyms: book obsession, book collecting mania, bibliophilia, book craze

Antonyms: bibliophobia, book aversion