cerebral palsy

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noun Pathology.

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.

Origin of cerebral palsy

First recorded in 1920–25

Related formscerebral palsied, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for cerebral palsy

athetosis, palsy

British Dictionary definitions for cerebral palsy

cerebral palsy

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cerebral palsy in Medicine

cerebral palsy

n.

A disorder usually caused by brain damage occurring at or before birth and marked by muscular impairment. Often accompanied by poor coordination, it sometimes involves speech and learning difficulties.

Related formscer′e•bral-pal′sied (sĕr′ə-brəl-pôl′zēd, sə-rē′-) adj.

cerebral palsy in Science

cerebral palsy

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 in Culture

cerebral palsy

[(pawl-zee)]

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.