tetanus

American  

[tet-n-uhs] / ˈtɛt n əs /

noun

1. Pathology. an infectious, often fatal disease caused by a specific bacterium that enters the body through wounds and characterized by respiratory paralysis and tonic spasms and rigidity of the voluntary muscles, especially those of the neck and lower jaw.

2. Also called tetanus bacillus.  Bacteriology. the bacterium, Clostridium tetani, causing this disease.

3. Physiology. a state of sustained contraction of a muscle during which the muscle does not relax to its initial length or tension, induced by a rapid succession of stimuli.

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tetanus British  

/ ˈtɛtənəs /

noun

1. Also called: lockjaw.  an acute infectious disease in which sustained muscular spasm, contraction, and convulsion are caused by the release of exotoxins from the bacterium, Clostridium tetani : infection usually occurs through a contaminated wound

2. physiol any tense contraction of a muscle, esp when produced by electric shocks

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tetanus Scientific  

/ tĕt′n-əs /

1. An acute, often fatal infectious disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, which usually enters the body through a wound and produces a toxin that affects nerve conduction. Tetanus is characterized by painful, spasmodic contractions of voluntary muscles, especially of the jaw.

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tetanus Cultural  

1. An acute and infectious disease caused by the toxin produced by a kind of bacteria that enters the body through cuts or wounds; also called lockjaw. In tetanus, the muscles of the body, particularly the muscles of the jaw, contract in painful spasms. Tetanus is deadly but can be prevented through immunization (tetanus shots).

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Other Word Forms

• tetanal adjective
• tetanoid adjective

Etymology

Origin of tetanus

1350–1400; < Latin < Greek tétanos spasm (of muscles), tetanus; replacing Middle English tetane < Latin, as above

Explanation

Tetanus is a disease of the nervous system spread by bacteria. It's very serious and is usually contracted through an open wound. You've probably had a tetanus shot at some point, and that's a good thing: tetanus is a serious infection that results in spasms and seizing up of parts of your body. Muscles you normally control become uncontrollable and rigid. That's why tetanus is also called lockjaw. People have the greatest chance of getting tetanus if they have an open wound. If you stepped on a nail, you'd better check with your doctor and make sure you've had a tetanus shot.

Example Sentences

She was then advised to go to A&E to get a tetanus jab and for someone to assess the wound.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

In 1962, President Kennedy signed the Vaccination Assistance Act, which ensured that all children under five, regardless of income, could receive vaccines against polio, diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

These horses occasionally answered the call of nature, creating a bacteria-filled environment that required the athletic trainer to keep a supply of tetanus shots on hand, to be administered when players’ wounds broke the skin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

A person needed a tetanus shot if they fell into the Potomac.

From Slate • May 26, 2025

My arms got pretty scratched up, and I didn’t have my gloves, but it’s okay; we all got tetanus shots before Dad’s insurance ran out.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones