plural of lunatic; people considered extremely foolish or crazy (this term is now considered outdated and offensive).
From Latin 'lunāticos,' derived from 'luna' meaning moon. Medieval people believed the moon affected mental illness, so 'lunatic' literally means 'moon-struck.' This etymology reveals how much our scientific understanding has changed.
For centuries, people actually blamed the full moon for making people mentally ill—that's why we still call eccentric people 'lunatics' even though we now know the moon has nothing to do with mental health!
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