lockjaw
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of lockjaw
Explanation
The serious disease called Tetanus is often referred to as lockjaw. In most parts of the world, people are regularly vaccinated against lockjaw. Tetanus has long been popularly called lockjaw because one of the disease's earliest effects is muscle spasms in the jaw that can "lock" it closed. Lockjaw is the result of an open wound being infected with a particular strain of bacteria, and it's found in medical history as far back as the fifth century BCE. Without proper immunization or treatment, lockjaw can be deadly.
Vocabulary lists containing lockjaw
"Against Nature," Vocabulary from the argument
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Spoon River Anthology
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
He was arrested in the early hours of 9 April in a car park near Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he had gone to be treated for "lockjaw".
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025
He added, “There is nothing precious about Chloë’s performance — nothing mannered, no weird Locust Valley lockjaw — and yet she makes a very strong woman believable for the period.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 7, 2018
So perfectly does the stylistic matchup favour Serena, so thoroughly is her lockjaw grip on Sharapova’s psyche, that it can be said that Sharapova will never beat Serena – even if Serena loses.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 29, 2015
All this despite medical science’s proven successes in wiping out not only the much-feared smallpox and polio, but nearly eliminating other serious illnesses like diphtheria, German measles, lockjaw and mumps in the United States.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 14, 2015
If the fungi could cure lockjaw, he’d feel a softening in those joints.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
