To focus your attention intensely on something, often in an unhealthy or obsessive way.
From Latin 'fixus' (fixed) plus the suffix '-ate' (to make or become). The term emerged in psychology in the late 1800s to describe concentrated mental focus.
The word 'fixate' got its modern psychological meaning from a misunderstanding—researchers borrowed it from Latin to describe both healthy concentration and obsessive behavior, which is why the same word describes both a scientist studying intently and an anxiety disorder.
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