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Jul 12, 2000

This week's theme
Words to drop into conversations with a therapist

This week's words
trichotillomania
cathexis
arctophile
symbiosis
nisus
acedia
thanatophobia

Photo: Michael Coghlan

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arctophile

noun: Someone who is very fond of teddy bears or collects them.

[From Greek arctos (bear) + -phile (lover). Ultimately from the Indo-European root rtko- (bear), which also gave us arctic (literally, of the bear), the name Ursula (diminutive of Latin ursa: bear), and ursiform (like a bear). Earliest documented use: 1970.]

"I am a past president of the American Society of Teddy Bear Collectors and have contributed dozens of articles to Teddy Bear Review and other arctophile journals."
Clifford Chase; Winkie; Grove Press; 2006.

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