teratism 1. In medicine, an anomaly of formation or development; the condition of a monster. 2. The worship of monstrosities; such as, the Egyptian goddess Hathor (represented as a woman's body with a cow's head), Bubashtis (as a woman with the head of a cat or lioness), and Thoth (who had the body of a man and the head of an ibis). Found on http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/2114/