From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtetanustet‧a‧nus /ˈtetənəs/ noun [uncountable] MBa serious illness caused by bacteria that enter your body through cuts and wounds and make your muscles, especially your jaw, go stiff SYN lockjaw
Examples from the Corpus
tetanus• The vaccine can be given at the same time as immunisations against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.• I had had my shots of gamma globulin, rabies vaccine and tetanus, and sometimes remembered to take my quinine.• His advice should also be sought for all puncture wounds and lacerations regarding any measures needed to avoid tetanus.• A few infections arise from inanimate sources: for example, pathogens that cause tetanus are harboured in the soil.• The decision to give tetanus immunisation depends on the patient's immunity as well as the wound's susceptibility to tetanus.• Trismus may be very prominent, resulting in a clinical presentation mimicking tetanus.• In this study, for example, cells were challenged with tetanus and candida, as well as other viruses.Origin tetanus (1300-1400) Latin Greek tetanos, from tetanos “stretched, tight” 