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tetanus
noun
- an acute infectious disease, often fatal, caused by the specific toxin of a bacillus (Clostridium tetani) which usually enters the body through wounds: it is characterized by spasmodic contractions and rigidity of some or all of the voluntary muscles, esp. of the jaw, face, and neck; lockjaw
- Physiol. the state of continuous contraction of a muscle, esp. when caused experimentally by a series of rapidly repeated stimuli
See tetanus in American Heritage Dictionary 4
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