Question

Hippophobia is the fear of......

• A. dogs
• B. horses
• C. oxen
• D. snakes

Hint:

The Greek root 'hippos' means horse, the same root seen in hippopotamus and hippodrome.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The word "hippophobia" is built from two Greek parts, and the question wants us to identify what it names a fear of.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Split the word into its two Greek building blocks. "Phobia" always means an irrational or extreme fear of something. The first part, "hippo," tells us what that something is.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
In Greek, "hippos" means horse. This same root shows up in "hippodrome," an old arena built for horse and chariot races, and in "hippopotamus," which literally translates to "river horse."
Putting the parts together, hippophobia is the medical or informal term for an intense, irrational fear of horses.
Checking the distractors confirms this: fear of dogs uses the root "kynos" and is called cynophobia, while fear of snakes uses the root "ophis" and is called ophidiophobia. Neither of those roots appears in "hippophobia," so dogs and snakes can be ruled out, and there is no established term linking "hippo" to oxen.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Hippophobia means the fear of horses, since "hippos" is Greek for horse.