Obdormition

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɒb.dɔːˈmɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. The phenomenon involving temporary numbness in a limb brought about by extended pressure is often experienced during sleep
2. A temporary state where an extremity loses sensation due to continued weight or pressure can occur in various positions
3. A condition characterized by the transient loss of feeling in a body part resulting from prolonged compression is commonly observed while resting

Etymology: "Obdormition" is built from the Latin prefix "ob-" and "dormition," the noun for falling asleep. Its root sense is literal: "dormition" comes from Latin "dormire," to sleep, and in English it was used for a sleeping or dying state, most famously in the name of the Christian feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. The "ob-" prefix in Latin carries senses of "against," "toward," or "over," and in combination with "dormition" it gives the sense of a sleep settling over a body part. The word therefore describes the deadened feeling in a limb that has been pressed on or kept still too long, the prickling numbness usually called "pins and needles" in everyday speech. Its origin is a plain compound rather than a dramatic coinage, and its modern meaning stays close to its literal sense of a body part falling asleep.

Synonyms: numbness, tingling, pins and needles, paresthesia, limb falling asleep

Antonyms: sensation, feeling, awareness, sensitivity, perception