[hys.te.ria] n [NL, fr. E hysteric, adj., fr. L hystericus, fr. Gk hysterikos, fr. hystera womb; fr. the Greek notion that hysteria was peculiar to women and caused by disturbances of the uterus] (1801) 1: a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions
2: behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess "political ~" -- hys.ter.ic n -- hys.ter.i.cal also hysteric adj -- hys.ter.i.cal.ly adv