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concussion

[kuh n-kuhsh-uh n]
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noun
  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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Origin of concussion

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin concussiōn- (stem of concussiō) a shaking. See concuss, -ion
Related formscon·cus·sion·al, con·cus·sant [kuh n-kuhs-uh nt] /kənˈkʌs ənt/, adjectivecon·cus·sive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for concussion

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • A shell from his own army had burst near him, and he had been thrown down by the concussion.

    The Rock of Chickamauga

    Joseph A. Altsheler

  • One or two men were struck, while others died from the effect of the concussion on their brains.

    Hellenica

    Xenophon

  • But Dan blacked out, receiving some of the concussion of the exploding rocket.

  • Beside him lay the heavy poker, bent into a curve by the concussion.

  • Such was the concussion of the air that for a moment he was stunned.

    The Long Roll

    Mary Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for concussion

concussion

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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Derived Formsconcussive, adjective
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

Word Origin and History for concussion

n.

c.1400, from Latin concussionem (nominative concussio) "a shaking," noun of action from past participle stem of concutere "shake violently," from com- "together" (see com-) + quatere "to shake" (see quash). Modern brain injury sense is from 1540s.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
concussion in Medicine

concussion

(kən-kŭsh′ən)
n.
  1. A violent shaking or jarring.
  2. An injury to a soft structure, especially the brain, produced by a violent blow and followed by a temporary or prolonged loss of function.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
concussion in Science

concussion

[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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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.