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grand mal

American  
[gran mahl, -mal, grand, grahn mal] / ˈgræn ˈmɑl, -ˈmæl, ˈgrænd, grɑ̃ ˈmal /

noun

Pathology.
  1. epilepsy


grand mal British  
/ ɡrɒn mæl, ɡrɑ̃ mal /

noun

  1. a form of epilepsy characterized by loss of consciousness for up to five minutes and violent convulsions Compare petit mal

"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

Etymology

Origin of grand mal

1875–80; < French: great ailment, epilepsy

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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.

See Examples For:

Brooke Shields reveals that she had a grand mal seizure in September — and that Bradley Cooper was by her side as she was taken to the hospital.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 5, 2024

Rosales suffers from grand mal seizures; her mother has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

From Seattle Times Oct. 18, 2023

At first, the neuropsychiatrist was "jarred" by the sight of a grand mal seizure.

From Salon Sep. 4, 2023

Iska, his daughter with Ana Maria, had lived with brain damage before dying of a grand mal seizure in 1985 at age 14.

From New York Times Mar. 2, 2023

According to Armand Trousseau, the petit mal in general precedes the manifestation of the grand mal, but sometimes the reverse is the case.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6 "English Language" to "Epsom Salts" by Various

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