Definitions for: Tetanus

[n] a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses
[n] an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages

Webster (1913) Definition: Tet"a*nus, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? stretched, ? to
stretch.]
1. (Med.) A painful and usually fatal disease, resulting
generally from a wound, and having as its principal
symptom persistent spasm of the voluntary muscles. When
the muscles of the lower jaw are affected, it is called
locked-jaw, or lickjaw, and it takes various names
from the various incurvations of the body resulting from
the spasm.

2. (Physiol.) That condition of a muscle in which it is in a
state of continued vibratory contraction, as when
stimulated by a series of induction shocks.

Synonyms: lockjaw

See Also: contraction, infection, muscular contraction

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