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cataplexy
[ kat-uh-plek-see ]
/ ˈkæt əˌplɛk si /
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noun
Pathology. a condition characterized by sudden, brief attacks of muscle weakness sometimes causing the body to fall helplessly, that is usually triggered by strong emotion: often associated with narcolepsy.
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Origin of cataplexy
OTHER WORDS FROM cataplexy
cat·a·plec·tic [kat-uh-plek-tik], /ˌkæt əˈplɛk tɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby cataplexy
cataphracted, cataphyll, cataplane, cataplasia, cataplasm, cataplexy, catapult, cataract, catarrh, catarrhal fever, catarrhine
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cataplexy in a sentence
Drugs that change dopamine levels in people don’t seem to have big effects on REM sleep and cataplexy, Scammell says.
British Dictionary definitions for cataplexy
cataplexy
/ (ˈkætəˌplɛksɪ) /
noun
sudden temporary paralysis, brought on by severe shock
a state of complete absence of movement assumed by animals while shamming death
Derived forms of cataplexy
cataplectic, adjectiveWord Origin for cataplexy
C19: from Greek kataplēxis amazement, from kataplēssein to strike down (with amazement), confound, from kata- down + plēssein to strike
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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