spastic
UK /ˈspastɪk/ · US /ˈspæstɪk/ adjective, noun
Forms spastics
- adjective Of, relating to, or affected by spasm.
- adjective Of or relating to spastic paralysis.
- adjective Incompetent or physically uncoordinated.
- adjective Hyperactive or behaving erratically.
- noun (now offensive, especially in the UK and Ireland) A person affected by spastic paralysis or spastic cerebral palsy.
- noun (colloquial; derogatory or offensive, especially in the UK and Ireland) A stupid, clumsy person.
Synonyms
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin spasticus, from Ancient Greek σπαστικός (spastikós, “drawing in”). By surface analysis, spasm + -tic. Cf. French spastique and see also spasm.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to spasm; spasmodic; especially, pertaining to tonic spasm; tetanic.
Etymology [L. spasticus, Gr. spastique. See Spasm.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “spastic”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details