tetanic

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: te=tan=ic

CIDE DICTIONARY

tetanic, a. [Cf. L. tetanicus suffering from tetanus, Gr. , F. tétanique.].

•  Of or pertaining to tetanus; having the character of tetanus; as, a tetanic state; tetanic contraction.  [1913 Webster]

  "This condition of muscle, this fusion of a number of simple spasms into an apparently smooth, continuous effort, is known as tetanus, or tetanic contraction."  [1913 Webster]
•  Producing, or tending to produce, tetanus, or tonic contraction of the muscles; as, a tetanic remedy. See Tetanic, n.  [1913 Webster]

tetanic, n. 

 A substance (notably nux vomica, strychnine, and brucine) which, either as a remedy or a poison, acts primarily on the spinal cord, and which, when taken in comparatively large quantity, produces tetanic spasms or convulsions.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tetanic, adj. of or such as occurs in tetanus.

Derivative

tetanically adv.

Etymology

L tetanicus f. Gk tetanikos (as TETANUS)