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Definition of maniac


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ma·ni·ac  audio  (mn-k) KEY  

NOUN:
  1. An insane person.
  2. A person who has an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something: a sports maniac.
  3. A person who acts in a wildly irresponsible way: maniacs on the highway.
ADJECTIVE:
Variant of maniacal.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Late Latin maniacus, maniacal, from Greek maniakos, from mani, madness; see men- 1 in Indo-European roots


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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