Unusual word.

Kim asked me about a word she couldn't track down.
She said she had done several searches, but to no avail.

And I was horrified to have to acknowledge that I didn't actually know it!

So I went to the Dictionary of Difficult Words and plugged it in...

Teratism

n. monstrosity; love of monsters or marvels. teratical, a. teratogen, n. substance that can cause fetal deformities if absorbed during pregnancy. teratogenesis, teratogeny, n. production of malformations in a fetus or of biological monstrosities. teratoid, a. abnormal. teratology, n. composition of fantastic stories; study or description of, or doctrine about, miracles; study of freaks, monsters, and physical abnormalities. teratosis, n.


"A love of monsters or marvels. "
Well now.
That really does explain a lot of things, doesn't it?