tetanus

noun

1. 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

   noun.state

   Synonyms lockjaw

   Source: WordNet 3.0

2. a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses

   noun.act

   Source: WordNet 3.0

3. 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 <i>locked-jaw</i>, or <i>lickjaw</i>, and it takes various names from the various incurvations of the body resulting from the spasm.

   noun

   Source: webster1913