maniac

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *men- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *mn̥yétorder. Proto-Hellenic *məňňómai Ancient Greek μαίνομαι (maínomai) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek μανίᾱ (maníā) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ακός (-akós) Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós)bor. Late Latin maniacuslbor. French maniaquebor. English maniac From mania + -ac. Borrowed from French maniaque, from Late Latin maniacus, from Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós), adjectival form of μανία (manía, “madness”). Compare manic.

1. An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania.

   “She was driving like a maniac.”

   “In these early days of silent pictures, the accent was chiefly on thrills and danger as provided by supposedly unstoppable locomotives with crooks or maniacs on the footplate.”

2. A fanatic, a person with an obsession.

   “He's a manga maniac.”

   “She's a maniac, maniac on the floor / And she's dancing like she's never danced before”

3. Ellipsis of sex maniac.