n. /ad"ikt/ ; v. /euh dikt"/ , n.
1. a person who is addicted to an activity, habit, or substance: a drug addict.
v.t.
2. to cause to become physiologically or psychologically dependent on an addictive substance, as alcohol or a narcotic.
3. to habituate or abandon (oneself) to something compulsively or obsessively: a writer addicted to the use of high-flown language; children addicted to video games.
[ 1520-30; addictus assigned, surrendered (ptp. of addicere, equiv. to ad- AD- + dic- (var. s. of dicere to fix, determine) + -tus ptp. suffix) ]
Syn. 1. adherent, devotee; fanatic; junkie.