aischrolatreia

noun

ais·​chro·​la·​treia

ˌī-skrō-lə-ˈtrī-ə

plural -s

: worship of filth : cult of the obscene

Word History

Etymology

Greek aischros shameful, ugly (from aischos disgrace) + -latreia -latry; probably akin to Old English ǣwisc, ǣwisce disgrace, shame, ǣwan to despise, Middle High German eisch ugly, Middle Low German eichelen, ēchelen to disgust, Gothic aiwiski disgrace

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!