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Meaning of Hypo | Babel Free

Noun CEFR C2 Specialized
ˈhaɪ.pəʊ

Definitions

  1. Melancholy; a fit of hypochondria; a morbid depression.
  2. A hypochondriac.
  3. Sodium thiosulfate (also called hyposulfite of soda), a photographic fixing agent.
  4. A hypoglycaemia attack in a person with diabetes.
  5. A hypodermic syringe or injection.
  6. Hypothecation.
  7. A hypothetical case.
  8. A hypomelanistic snake.

Equivalents

Examples

“1711 "I have a better Stomach tha usuall and have perfectly forgot what the Hyppo means",Joseph Collett, merchant, writing from Rio de Janeiro, Oct 15, 1711, in his Private Letter Books, edited by H. H. Dodwell in 1933. (cited by Eric Partidge, A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventinoal English”
“1837 Abraham Lincoln: Tell your sister I dont want to hear any more about selling out and moving. That gives me the hypo whenever I think of it. (Letter to Mary S. Owens, May 7. 1837, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1.”
“whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. (Chapter 1, "Loomings") But thou sayest, methinks that white-lead chapter about whiteness is but a white flag hung out from a craven soul; thou surrenderest to a hypo, Ishmael. (Chapter 42, "The Whiteness of the Whale")”
“Certainly no one can accuse a bunch of hypos of lying dormant during the noon-hour. The activity, inside and out, is simply terrific. To us, personally, by far the most interesting group of hypochondriacs in attendance at this particular emporium […]”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
See all C2 English words →

See also

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