tetanus

Meaning

Noun

• A serious and often fatal disease caused by the infection of an open wound with the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani (species), found in soil and the intestines and faeces of animals.
• A state of muscle tension caused by sustained contraction arising from a rapid series of nerve impulses which do not allow the muscle to relax.

Origin

• From Latin tetanus, from Ancient Greek τέτανος, from τείνω.