torticollis

[ tawr-ti-kol-is ]

/ ˌtɔr tɪˈkɒl ɪs /

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noun Pathology.

a condition in which the neck is twisted and the head inclined to one side, caused by spasmodic contraction of the muscles of the neck.

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Also called wryneck.

Origin of torticollis

1805–15; <New Latin, equivalent to Latin tort(us) twisted (see tort) + -i--i- + coll(um) neck + -is noun suffix

Words nearby torticollis

tort, torte, Tortelier, tortellini, tortfeasor, torticollis, tortile, tortilla, tortilla chip, Tortilla Flat, tortillon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use torticollis in a sentence

As a matter of fact, mental torticollis is a tic which the patient can ordinarily curb by some procedure of his own invention.
Tics and Their Treatment|Henry Meigne
Let but momentary cessation of the muscular spasm be effected, and the torticollis disappears without leaving a trace.
Tics and Their Treatment|Henry Meigne
Mental torticollis consecutive to anthrax of the neck has been described by Briand.
Tics and Their Treatment|Henry Meigne
Oppenheim has signalised the reappearance, after several months of respite, of a torticollis secondary to an attack of influenza.
Tics and Their Treatment|Henry Meigne

To retrace the steps in the evolution of mental torticollis is a task not always easy of accomplishment.
Tics and Their Treatment|Henry Meigne

British Dictionary definitions for torticollis

torticollis

/ (ˌtɔːtɪˈkɒlɪs) /

noun

pathol an abnormal position of the head, usually with the neck bent to one side, caused congenitally by contracture of muscles, muscular spasm, etc

Derived forms of torticollis

torticollar, adjective

Word Origin for torticollis

C19: New Latin, from Latin tortus twisted (from torquēre to twist) + collum neck

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