incubus
UK[ˈɪŋkjʊbəs]US[ˈɪŋkjəbəs]
n
an evil spirit believed in some folklore to lie on top of people, especially women, while they are sleeping
n
a cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare
Morpheme Breakdown
in
cub
us
in
on
cub
lie
us
masculine noun suffix
Etymology
the word incubus originates from late latin, where it was formed from the verb 'incubare', meaning "to lie upon". this verb itself is a compound of the prefix 'in-' (on) and 'cubare' (to lie). in medieval european folklore, the incubus was conceptualized as a male demon who would lie upon sleepers, particularly women, to cause nightmares or supernatural oppression. over time, the term evolved beyond its literal mythological context to metaphorically describe any burdensome or oppressive situation, much like a persistent nightmare.
Analysis
Structure: in (on) + cub (lie) + us (masculine noun suffix)
'in' is a Latin prefix meaning "on, upon". 'cub' is from the Latin verb stem 'cubare' meaning "to lie down". 'us' is a Latin masculine noun suffix.
Examples
the old legend spoke of an incubus that would visit people in the night, leaving them feeling exhausted and terrified upon waking.
the constant fear of failure became an incubus on his creativity, stifling all his new ideas.
in her novel, the mysterious illness is portrayed as a psychological incubus haunting the protagonist.