The Phrontistery


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Love and Attraction

While this list might seem a bit risqué judging from its title, it's not as bad (or good) as you might think. Each of these 114 weird words contains the word element "phil", from ancient Greek phileein to love, and so a 'philia' is a special love, affection, attraction or preference for a certain type of thing. From aerophilately - a pastime practiced by few - to zoophily - a pastime hopefully practiced by few, but unfortunately not - if you're a logophile, you'll love this list. Incidentally, since "zoophily" is regularly one of the Phrontistery's top keywords, a note to any aspiring zoophilists: There's nothing to see here! Get out! As for the rest of you, enjoy! To complement this list of philias, you may also find my list of manias to be of interest.


Word Definition
aerophilately collecting of air-mail stamps
ailurophilia love of cats
ammophilous sand-loving; preferring to dwell in sand
anemophilous pollinated by wind
anglophilia love or fondness for England or the English
anthophilous loving or frequenting flowers
apodysophilia feverish desire to undress
arctophily study of teddy bears
astrophile person interested in astronomy
audiophile one who loves accurately reproduced recorded sound
belonephilia sexual obsession with sharp objects
bibliophily love or fondness for books or reading
canophilia love or fondness for dogs
cartophily the hobby of collecting cigarette cards
chasmophilous fond of nooks, crevices and crannies
chiropterophilous pollinated or frequented by bats
chromophilous staining easily
chrysophilist gold-lover
clinophilia passion for beds
coprophilia abnormal love or fondness for feces
cynophilist one who loves dogs
dendrophilous fond of trees
discophile one who loves and studies sound recordings
electrophile substance having an affinity for electrons or negative charge
entomophilous adapted for pollination by insects
ergophile one who loves work
Europhile one who loves Europe
Francophile one who loves France or the French
Gallophile one who loves France or the French
geophilous living in or near the ground
Germanophilia love or fondness for Germany or the Germans
gerontophilia sexual attraction towards the elderly
gynotikolobomassophile one who nibbles on women’s earlobes
haemophilia hereditary disease causing excesssive bleeding
halophilous tolerant of salt or salt-water
heliophilous preferring or attracted to the sunlight
hippophile lover of horses
homophile one who prefers the company of the same sex; a homosexual
hydrophilous loving or preferring water
hygrophilous preferring or living where there is an abundance of moisture
iconophilism a taste for pictures and symbols
japanophilia love or admiration for Japan or the Japanese
labeorphily collection and study of beer bottle labels
limnophilous living in ponds or marshes
lithophilous living among stones
logophile a lover of words
lygophilia love of darkness
lyophile easily dispersed in a suitable medium
malacophilous pollinated by snails
myrmecophilous having a symbiotic relationship with ants
necrophilia unusual love or sexual attraction for corpses
negrophile one who is sympathetic towards black people
nemophilist one who loves the woods
neophile one who loves novelty and trends
nitrophilous flourishing in or preferring locations with abundant nitrogen
notaphily collecting of bank-notes and cheques
oenophile one who is fond of or loves wine
ombrophilous tolerant of large amounts of rainfall
ophiophilist snake-lover
ornithophilous pollinated by birds
paedophilia abnormal love or sexual attraction for children
palaeophile antiquarian
paraphilia any abnormal sexual attraction
peristerophily pigeon-collecting
petrophilous living on or thriving in rocky areas
philalethist lover of truth
philately study of postage stamps
philhippic loving or admiring horses
phillumeny collecting of matchbox labels
philocaly love of beauty
philodemic fond of commoners or the lower classes
philogyny love of women
philomath lover of learning
philonoist one who seeks knowledge
philopornist lover of prostitutes
philotechnical devoted to the arts
philotherianism love of animals
philoxenia hospitality
photophilous preferring or thriving in lighted conditions
phytophilous fond of plants
pogonophile one who loves beards
psammophile sand-loving plant
psychrophilic thriving in cold temperatures
retrophilia love of things of the past
rheophile living or thriving in running water
rhizophilous growing or thriving on or near roots
Russophile one who admires Russia or the Russians
sarcophilous fond of flesh
sciophilous thriving in or loving shady conditions
scopophilia obtaining sexual pleasure from seeing things
Scotophilia admiration for Scotland or the Scots
scripophily collection of bond and share certificates
Sinophile one who admires China or the Chinese
Slavophile one who admires the Slavs
spermophile member of family of seed-loving rodents
stegophilist one who climbs buildings for sport
stigmatophilia obsession with tattooing or branding
symphily living together for mutual benefit
technophile one who is fond of technology
thalassophilous living in or fond of the sea
theophile one who loves or is loved by God
thermophilous preferring or thriving in high temperatures
timbrophily love or fondness for stamps; stamp-collecting
tobaccophile one who loves tobacco
topophilia great love or affection for a particular place
toxophily love of archery; archery; study of archery
tropophilous flourishing in seasonal extremes of climate
turophile cheese lover
typhlophile one who is kind to the blind
xenophilia love of foreigners
xerophily adaptation to very dry conditions
xylophilous fond of wood; living in or on wood
zoophilia loving or caring for animals; bestiality
zoophily loving or caring for animals; bestiality


I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.

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