cerebral palsy

noun

Pathology.

1. a form of paralysis believed to be caused by a prenatal brain defect or by brain injury during birth, most marked in certain motor areas and characterized by difficulty in control of the voluntary muscles.

cerebral palsy

noun

1. a nonprogressive impairment of muscular function and weakness of the limbs, caused by lack of oxygen to the brain immediately after birth, brain injury during birth, or viral infection

cerebral palsy

1. A motor disorder often caused by brain injury occurring at or before birth, characterized by muscular impairment and symptoms such as poor coordination, spasm, abnormal stiffness, speech difficulties, and sometimes paralysis. Some children with cerebral palsy have accompanying neurologic conditions such as epilepsy, learning disorders, and mental retardation.

cerebral palsy

1. A disorder marked by lack of muscle coordination and sometimes accompanied by speech defects. It is caused by brain damage present at birth or experienced during birth or infancy.

Other Word Forms

• cerebral palsied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cerebral palsy¹

First recorded in 1920–25