Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of epileptic seizure: "grand mal" is a medical term for a severe form of epileptic seizure characterized by loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.
   • The condition involving such seizures: It can also refer to the form of epilepsy itself that is marked by these major convulsive seizures.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was hospitalized after experiencing a grand mal.
  • Grand mal epilepsy requires careful management with medication.

Advanced Usage

• Medical Terminology: The term "grand mal" (from French, meaning "great illness") is a traditional classification. In modern clinical practice, it is often categorized under terms like "tonic-clonic seizure."
  • The doctor explained that the episode was a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, formerly known as a grand mal.

Variants and Related Words

• Petit mal (n): A less severe type of epileptic seizure involving brief lapses in consciousness, contrasted with "grand mal."
  • Unlike grand mal seizures, petit mal seizures do not involve convulsions.
• Tonic-clonic seizure (n): The contemporary medical term often used synonymously with "grand mal seizure."
  • The new diagnosis uses the term "tonic-clonic" instead of "grand mal."

Synonyms

• Tonic-clonic seizure: The modern equivalent term.
• Major epileptic seizure: A descriptive synonym emphasizing its severity.

Notes on Usage

• The term "grand mal" is still widely recognized but is considered somewhat dated in formal medical contexts. It is often used in general conversation or historical descriptions of the condition.
• It is typically used as a countable noun (e.g., "She had a grand mal").

Noun

1. a seizure during which the patient becomes unconscious and has convulsions over the entire body
2. epilepsy in which the attacks involve loss of consciousness and tonic spasms of the musculature followed by generalized jerking