Both Uses
compulsive
in
Running in the Family
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- In India only the aristocracy gambled; in Ceylon the bankers and lime-burners and fishmongers and the leisured class would spend their afternoons, shoulder to shoulder, betting compulsively.†
p. 48.4 *compulsively = excessively due to an uncontrollable desire
- She stole flowers compulsively, even in the owner's presence.†
p. 122.5
Definitions:
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(1)
(compulsive) describing something someone does, as done too much because of an uncontrollable desire -- such as excessive gambling or eating
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(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Much more rarely, compulsive is used like compelling to indicate that something is so captivating that it is hard to turn attention away from it.