From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Mesmerism \Mes"mer*ism\, noun [From Mesmer, who first brought it into notice at Vienna, about
1775: cf. F. mesm['e]risme.] An earlier name for {hypnosis} or {hypnotism}, the art of inducing an extraordinary or abnormal state of the nervous system, in which the actor claims to control the actions, and communicate directly with the mind, of the recipient. It is believed to be a state between sleep and wakefulness, in which a person is more susceptible to suggestion than when awake. See {Animal magnetism}, under {Magnetism}.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: the act of inducing hypnosis [syn: {hypnotism}, {suggestion}]
From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:
MESMERISM, noun Hypnotism before it wore good clothes, kept a carriage and asked Incredulity to dinner.
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