"fear of crossing open spaces," 1873, from German Agorophobie, coined 1871 by Berlin psychiatrist Carl Westphal from Greek agora "place of assembly, city market" (but here with the general sense "open space;" see agora) + -phobia "fear." Related: Agoraphobe; agoraphobic.

also air-man, "aeronaut," 1873 of pilots of balloons; 1910 of airplane pilots, from air (n.1) + man (n.).

tau cross with an oval loop at the top, Egyptian symbol of life, 1873, from Egyptian ankh, literally "life, soul." Also known as crux ansata.

"emaciation as a result of severe emotional disturbance," coined 1873 by William W. Gull, who also offered as an alternative apepsia hysterica as a name for it. See anorexia.

imitative of the sound of sneezing, first attested 1873, as atcha (a-tschoo is from 1878, achoo by 1885).

1873, "confuse," originally "to confuse with strong drink or opium" (by 1832), from be- + fuddle. An earlier word in the same sense was begunk (1725). Related: Befuddled; befuddling.

"small curio," 1873, from French bibelot "knick-knack," from Old French beubelet "trinket, jewel" (12c.), from belbel "plaything," a reduplication of bel "pretty" (see belle).

North American lynx, 1873, in a Maine context; so called for its short tail; see bob (n.2) + cat (n.).

"sudden start or increase in commercial or other activity," 1873, sometimes said to be from boom (n.1) in the specific nautical meaning "a long spar run out to extend the foot of a sail" — a ship "booming" being one in full sail. But it could just as well be from boom (n.2) on the notion of "sudden burst." The verbal sense "burst into sudden activity" seems to be slightly older (1871). Boom town is from 1883. The economic cycle of boom and bust has been so called since 1937.

familiar address or nickname for a male, 1873 (in a South Carolina context), Southern U.S. slang, said to be a corruption of brother.