Definition

Noun: 1. A serious, often fatal disease caused by a bacterial toxin, characterized by severe muscle stiffness and spasms, especially of the jaw and neck muscles; the common name for tetanus. It is an acute infection affecting the nervous system, typically entering the body through a contaminated wound.

Usage

• Lockjaw is a non-medical, descriptive term used primarily in general conversation to refer to the symptom of jaw stiffness or the disease tetanus itself.
• It is often used in warnings about the importance of wound care and vaccination.

Examples

• "Before the tetanus vaccine was common, stepping on a rusty nail could lead to lockjaw."
• "The doctor asked if he was up to date on his shots, concerned about the risk of lockjaw from the deep puncture wound."
• "The muscle spasms were so severe they caused lockjaw, making it impossible for him to open his mouth."

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe a state of extreme tension or rigidity, though this is less common.
  • "The stressful meeting gave me a case of emotional lockjaw; I couldn't speak my mind."

Variants and Related Words

• Tetanus (n): The formal medical term for the disease.
• Trismus (n): The clinical term for the sustained, involuntary contraction of the jaw muscles, which is a symptom of tetanus and other conditions.

Synonyms

• Tetanus

Notes on Meaning

• Lockjaw specifically highlights the most recognizable early symptom of the disease—the tightening and locking of the jaw muscles (trismus). However, the term is commonly used to refer to the entire, potentially fatal, disease of tetanus.

Noun

1. an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages