narcolepsy
noun
nar·co·lep·sy
| \ ˈnär-kə-ˌlep-sē
\
\
plural narcolepsies
Definition of narcolepsy
: a condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep often occurring with cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations
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Other Words from narcolepsy
narcoleptic
\ ˌnär-kə-ˈlep-tik
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of narcolepsy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the past week, the FDA has approved five novel new drugs to treat a slew of conditions from cancer to the skin disease psoriasis to tuberculosis (TB) to the sleep disorder narcolepsy. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "The FDA Went on an Epic Drug Approval Binge This Week: Brainstorm Health," 16 Aug. 2019 The four settlements involve two drugs: Provigil (a treatment for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders) and Lidoderm (a prescription patch for shingles). — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Drugmakers to pay $70 million over deals to keep cheap generics off the market," 30 July 2019 Teva kept a generic of Provigil, a drug used to treat narcolepsy, from entering the market for almost six years, according to Becerra. — Arman Azad And Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN, "Drug companies to pay $70 million for delaying cheaper generics, California attorney general says," 29 July 2019 Adderall, a medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, contains amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. — Gary Klien, The Mercury News, "Bay Area doctor accused of medical, sexual improprieties," 15 July 2019 But recurring episodes are sometimes linked to narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that involves drowsiness and sudden sleep attacks. — Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, "9 Types of Parasomnias That Might Explain That Weird Thing You Do When You Sleep," 5 June 2019 Joseph Takahashi, whose lab identified a major clock gene around 20 years ago; Masashi Yanagisawa, who helped uncover the neurotransmitter behind narcolepsy; and a long list of colleagues recently found two genes that appear to influence sleep. — Quanta Magazine, "How Circadian Clocks Differ From Sleep," 17 Feb. 2017 Since there’s no definitive cause of narcolepsy, there’s also no single cure. — Nina Bahadur, SELF, "What Does It Mean if You Fall Asleep Instantly Every Night?," 20 Oct. 2018 Harriet Tubman freed hundreds of slaves while living with seizures and narcolepsy. — Ola Ojewumi, SELF, "I'm Celebrating My Disabled Black Girl Magic Because I'm Done Feeling Invisible," 7 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'narcolepsy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for narcolepsy
narcolepsy
noun
English Language Learners Definition of narcolepsy
medical
: a medical condition in which someone suddenly falls into a deep sleep while talking, working, etc.
See the full definition for narcolepsy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
narcolepsy
noun
nar·co·lep·sy
| \ ˈnär-kə-ˌlep-sē
\
\
plural narcolepsies
Medical Definition of narcolepsy
: a condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep often occurring with cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations — compare hypersomnia sense 2