Tār'ant-īsm, n.

n. [Fr. tarentisme, It. tarantismo, tarantolismo, tarantulismo, N. Lat. tarantismus. See infra.] [Written also tarentism.] (Med.) A fabulous disease supposed to be produced by the bite of a certain spider, the Lycosa Tarantula, and considered to be incapable of cure except by protracted dancing to appropriate music.