Saint Vitus's dance

American  

[vahy-tuh-siz] / ˈvaɪ tə sɪz /

Or Saint Vitus' dance

noun

1. St. Vitus's dance.

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Saint Vitus's dance British  

/ ˈvaɪtəsɪz /

noun

1. pathol a nontechnical name for Sydenham's chorea

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Etymology

Origin of Saint Vitus's dance

C17: so called because sufferers traditionally prayed to Saint Vitus (3rd-century child martyr) for relief and were said to be cured by a visit to his shrine

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Saint Vitus's dance

Don’t come straggling into the office one morning muttering, “First, gout. Now ague, biliousness, lumbago, Saint Vitus’s dance and dropsy. What’s next, apoplexy?”

From Washington Post ● Aug. 16, 2019

And when the covers were taken off, it was still more absurd—everything in the dishes appeared to be infected with Saint Vitus’s dance.

From Olla Podrida by Marryat, Frederick

"I believe it isn't uncommon for children to get well of Saint Vitus's dance," said Millard.

From The Faith Doctor A Story of New York by Eggleston, Edward

“Have you got Saint Vitus’s dance, Amy Drew?”

From The Campfire Girls on Station Island or, The Wireless from the Steam Yacht by Penrose, Margaret

Twitches, choræa, or Saint Vitus's dance, are not very usual, and may continue for months after every other symptom has subsided.

From The Dog by Dinks