Babinski reflex

noun

An abnormal plantar reflex in which the hallux moves upwards, indicative of motor neuron damage.

Meanings

nounBabinski reflex (plural Babinski reflexes)

plural Babinski reflexes

  1. medicineAn abnormal plantar reflex in which the hallux moves upwards, indicative of motor neuron damage.

    Synonyms: Babinski's reflex, Babinski's response, Babinski's sign, Koch's sign

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn abnormal plantar reflex in which the hallux moves upwards, indicative of motor neuron damage.

More synonyms by meaning

nounextension upward of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroked firmly on the outer side from the heel to the front; normal in infants under the age of two years but a sign of brain or spinal cord injury in older persons

Similar
BabinskiBabinski sign
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

After Joseph Babinski (1857–1932), French neurologist.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: Babinski reflex on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.