concussion

American  

[kuhn-kuhsh-uhn] / kənˈkʌʃ ən /

noun

• concussions
  plural

1. Pathology. injury to the brain or spinal cord due to jarring from a blow, fall, or the like.

2. shock caused by the impact of a collision, blow, etc.

3. the act of violently shaking or jarring.

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concussion British  

/ kənˈkʌʃən /

noun

1. a jarring of the brain, caused by a blow or a fall, usually resulting in loss of consciousness

2. any violent shaking; jarring

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concussion Scientific  

/ kən-kŭsh′ən /

1. An injury to a soft structure, especially the brain, produced by a violent blow or impact and followed by a temporary, sometimes prolonged, loss of function. A concussion of the brain results in transient loss of consciousness or memory.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• concussant
  adjective
• concussional
  adjective
• concussive
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• concussions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of concussion

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin concussiōn-, stem of concussiō “a shaking,” also “earthquake, extortion”; equivalent to concuss + -ion

Explanation

A concussion is a violent blow, especially to the head, that often injures the brain or causes a loss of consciousness — an all-too-frequent occurrence, unfortunately, in contact sports like football or boxing. First used around 1400, concussion originates from the Latin concussionem, which means "a shaking." Your brain certainly gets "a shaking" when you take a heavy blow to the head, which sometimes causes injury or permanent damage. It's not just people, though, who get concussions; a building can also suffer from a concussion during an earthquake.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concussion concussions

Fiona's 13-year-old daughter was rushed to hospital in an ambulance with concussion and spent about two weeks recovering at home from her injuries after the incident at a riding arena in south Wales.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

In 2023, McConnell tripped, sustained a concussion, and was away from the Senate for nearly six weeks.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

Shoaib Bashir took two in an over and Jofra Archer one, as well as striking Blair Tickner with a blow that eventually ruled the seamer out of the match with concussion.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Doctors used to worry almost exclusively about concussions, but most headers don’t produce a concussion diagnosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

The fog is lifting, just as it did for me in the hospital's emergency room after my concussion.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

Tim Moscicki, an athletic trainer at Loyola High for 38 years, said much has changed for the better in protecting football players from concussions and other head injuries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

Doctors used to worry almost exclusively about concussions, but most headers don’t produce a concussion diagnosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Atkins knew a little bit about what concussions felt like, and even this time was different.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

Tagovailoa has said he contemplated retiring after suffering two concussions during the 2022 season, but returned to lead the league for passing yards in 2023, taking Miami into the play-offs.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

He told us about Mr. Terupt’s wrestling and concussions and it not being all Peter’s fault.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

Related Words

• bump
• injury
• shock
• trauma