tetanic
/təˈtæn.ɪk/ adjective, noun
Forms tetanics
- adjective Of or relating to tetanus.
- adjective Causing tetanus.
- adjective Of or relating to tetany.
- adjective Causing tetany.
- noun Any substance that causes tetanic spasms. “Nux vomica, strychnine, and brucine are tetanics.”
Etymology
From French tétanique.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to tetanus; having the character of tetanus; as, a tetanic state; tetanic contraction.
- adjective Producing, or tending to produce, tetanus, or tonic contraction of the muscles; as, a tetanic remedy. See Tetanic, n.
- noun A substance (notably nux vomica, strychnine, and brucine) which, either as a remedy or a poison, acts primarily on the spinal cord, and which, when taken in comparatively large quantity, produces tetanic spasms or convulsions.
Etymology [Cf. L. tetanicus suffering from tetanus, Gr. tétanique.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “tetanic”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details