Lazarus sign

noun

A reflex movement in brain-dead or brainstem failure patients, which causes them to briefly raise their arms and drop them crossed on their chests.

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Meanings

noun
  1. medicineA reflex movement in brain-dead or brainstem failure patients, which causes them to briefly raise their arms and drop them crossed on their chests.

Origin

After Lazarus in the Bible, who was resurrected from the dead.

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Cite this entry
APA

Lazarus sign. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lazarus%20sign

MLA

“Lazarus sign.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lazarus%20sign. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Lazarus sign,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lazarus%20sign.

Source: Lazarus sign on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.