lockjaw

American  

[lok-jaw] / ˈlɒkˌdʒɔ /

noun

Pathology.

1. tetanus in which the jaws become firmly locked together; trismus.

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lockjaw British  

/ ˈlɒkˌdʒɔː /

noun

1. pathol a nontechnical name for trismus tetanus

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Etymology

Origin of lockjaw

First recorded in 1795–1805; lock ¹ + jaw ¹

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.

Example Sentences

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

That brother was suddenly and newly dead of lockjaw, so a bereft Thoreau was left with only his memories in a little cabin, toiling at his even littler desk.

From The Guardian • Jul. 12, 2017

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

Broke With Expensive Taste, her 2014 debut, gave the haters lockjaw, and I’d vote for it as the hip-hop album of the year.

From Slate • Dec. 17, 2014

The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling