concussion
Americannoun
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Pathology. injury to the brain or spinal cord due to jarring from a blow, fall, or the like.
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shock caused by the impact of a collision, blow, etc.
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the act of violently shaking or jarring.
noun
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a jarring of the brain, caused by a blow or a fall, usually resulting in loss of consciousness
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any violent shaking; jarring
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing concussion
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Drama
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Game Changer
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Catcher Dalton Rushing was replaced behind the plate by Chuckie Robinson in the bottom of the third inning so the team could check Rushing for a possible concussion.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 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
On opening night in Seattle, Golden State forward Cecilia Zandalasini suffered her first concussion when elbowed by the Storm’s Zia Cooke.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026
The 25-year-old was taken to hospital with a wound on her head and later began suffering from headaches and dizziness - symptoms consistent with concussion.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
Outside the snow muffled the concussion of passing horses.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
