synaesthesia
UK /ˌsɪn.ɪsˈθiː.ʒə/ · US /ˌsɪn.əsˈθi.ʒə/ noun
Forms synaesthesiae synaesthesias synæsthesia synesthesia
- noun (neurology, psychology) A neurological or psychological phenomenon whereby a particular sensory stimulus triggers a second kind of sensation.
- noun (by extension) The association of one sensory perception with, or description of it in terms of, a different perception that is not experienced at the same time.
- noun (art, literature) A literary or artistic device whereby one kind of sensation is described in the terms of another.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Ancient Greek σύν (sún, “with”) + αἴσθησις (aísthēsis, “sensation”), modelled after anaesthesia. It is analysable as syn- + -aesthesia.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “synaesthesia”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details