paralysis
Pathology.
a loss or impairment of voluntary movement in a body part, caused by injury or disease of the nerves, brain, or spinal cord.
a disease characterized by this, especially palsy.
a state of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act: The strike caused a paralysis of all shipping.
Origin of paralysis
1Other words from paralysis
- non·pa·ral·y·sis, noun, plural non·pa·ral·y·ses.
- sem·i·pa·ral·y·sis, noun, plural sem·i·pa·ral·y·ses.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use paralysis in a sentence
The horrible inertia of spiritual sloth paralyses us, and the call of the Spirit is heard in vain.
Our Lady Saint Mary | J. G. H. BarryThey have sometimes been spoken of as hysterical palsies or paralyses.
Psychotherapy | James J. WalshThe following facts serve to show that stretching rather than pressure is responsible for this class of paralyses.
But in the case of an artist, weakness is nothing less than a crime when it is a weakness that paralyses the imagination.
Oscar Wilde, Volume 2 (of 2) | Frank HarrisAnd of these marriage alone kills the individuality, paralyses liberty and is the embodiment of a paradox.
Friedrich Nietzsche | Georg Brandes
British Dictionary definitions for paralysis
/ (pəˈrælɪsɪs) /
pathol
impairment or loss of voluntary muscle function or of sensation (sensory paralysis) in a part or area of the body, usually caused by a lesion or disorder of the muscles or the nerves supplying them
a disease characterized by such impairment or loss; palsy
cessation or impairment of activity: paralysis of industry by strikes
Origin of paralysis
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for paralysis
[ pə-răl′ĭ-sĭs ]
Loss or impairment of voluntary movement or sensation in a part of the body, usually as a result of neurologic injury or disease.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for paralysis
[ (puh-ral-uh-sis) ]
The loss of voluntary movement in a body part. Paralysis results from damage to the nerves that supply the affected part of the body.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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