caco-, cac-, kako-, kak-

That which is considered to be wrong or full of evil opinions, teachings, or doctrines: Last week, the a professor of anthropology was lecturing about cacodoxes that some anti-religious groups have been presenting for many years against those who believe in God, or gods.

Referring to ideas and concepts which are considered to be heretical or that go against accepted religious beliefs: As an atheist, or unbeliever in God, the speaker in the park was using cacodoxian language that disturbed a lot of people.

Characterized by, revealing, or approaching a departure from established beliefs or standards of other people: The senator's cacodoxical opinions were contrary to the overall opinions of his fellow political-party members.

A false or wrong opinion or doctrine: The professor at the religious school accused Roger of cacodoxy because his essay did not agree with the primary beliefs of the other students and teachers of the seminary or training institution for ministers.

Someone who mispronounces words or those who can not be understood when they speak: It was difficult to comprehend what Danny was saying because he was a cacoepist and so his words were too difficult for people to recognize.

A reference to or related to the incoherence of words: The woman's hilarious cacoepistic use of words resulted in her being called Mrs. Malaprop, who was always confusing people with her inappropriate verbal statements.

1. The mispronunciation of words or the bad utterances of words: The dentist noticed the cacoepy of his young patient and referred him to an orthodontist because the extreme malformation of his teeth must be causing his bad speech.
2. Poor, incorrect, or completely wrong pronunciations of words: The announcer on the radio overcame her cacoepy early in her career and as a result she became a well-known radio personality.

1. A strong passion to criticize or a mania for finding fault with others: The project's supervisor allowed his cacoëthes carpendi to get out of control and really offended people on the job site.
2. Etymology: derived from kakoethes, a Greek word that combines kakos, "bad" with ethos, "habit" and describes "any compulsion" or "uncontrollable urge".

Compulsive talking or an uncontrollable desire for excessive talking or making speeches: An example of cacoëthes loquendi is anyone who goes on talking and talking and won't stop; or who talks more and says less.

1. An incurable compulsion, desire, or drive, to write: As an author, Karl had a case of cacoethes scribendi or an uncontrollable desire to write regardless of the quality of his compositions.
2. Etymology: the full text is, Tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes.: "The incurable itch for scribbling [or writing] affects many"; as stated by Decimus Junius Juvenalis (Roman satirist), 60-140 A.D.

Actually, Juvenal wrote in his Satires, "An inveterate and incurable itch for writing besets many and grows old in their sick hearts."

1. A very bad habit, an insatiable desire, or an incurable compulsion to do something harmful: Too many people have a cacoethes for smoking.
2. In medicine, a malignant disease: The patient was told that he had a cacoethes of an incurable cancer. © ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

1. A reference to something; such as, a disease that is slow to heal; in a bad condition, or malignant and so, harmful: Mike's cousin has a cacoethic sore on his leg which the doctor's diagnosed as a form of cancer and that is not responding to treatment.
2. A descriptive term for a bad habit or a propensity of the body or mind to be out of control; an uncontrollable urge: Billy's cacoethic urge to lie was always getting him into trouble; especially, at school.

Descriptive of a troubled or deranged stomach or bad digestion: The man sitting next to Karl on the subway appeared to have a cacogastric stomach problem because he explained that he had to take some peptic medication for it.

An antisocial person: The newspaper told about a cacogen who lived as a hermit in the neighborhood, after retiring from his post office job, and who went into town only once a month to get his pension so he could buy the necessities of food, etc. in order to survive.

1. The inability of two species to produce viable offspring: Because of cacogenesis, the cow gave birth to a calf which was not able to survive.
2. A morbid or depraved formation; a monstrosity, a pathological condition: Joan's neighbor had a cacogenesis which was diagnosed as a very malignant tumor.