koro

Meaning

Noun

• A delusional syndrome found in Malay and southern Chinese populations, characterized by a belief that the subject's penis will retract into the abdomen and cause death.

Origin

• Possibly from Makasar {{l ("garring") koro'}} (lit. koro illness, "shrinking of the toilet", Matthes 1859), Buginese, or Malay. See "Koro § Etymology and geographical background" at Wikipedia for a full discussion.