tetany

T1E1T1A1N1Y4
/ˈtɛtəni/

noun

A condition characterized by painful muscular spasms, caused by faulty calcium metabolism.

Similar
tetanillaintermittent tetanusintermittent crampapyretic tetanus
OriginFrench tétanie ← New Latin tetania →
RareScrabble 9
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nountetany (usually uncountable, plural tetanies)

plural tetanies

  1. uncountableusuallymedicineA condition characterized by painful muscular spasms, caused by faulty calcium metabolism.

    The tetany that was epidemic among slaved children was actually the result of severe calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D deficiency caused by chronic malnutrition.

    2008, Harriet A. Washington, “Profitable Wonders”, in Medical Apartheid, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, page 62

Synonyms & antonyms

nounclinical neurological syndrome characterized by muscular twitching and cramps and (when severe) seizures; associated with calcium deficiency (hypoparathyroidism) or vitamin D deficiency or alkalosis

Similar
tetanillaintermittent tetanusintermittent crampapyretic tetanus
Broader
syndrome

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. New Latintetania
  2. Frenchtétanie
  3. Englishtetany

Borrowed from French tétanie, from New Latin tetania.

More words from French, New Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French tétanie
  • tétaniecondition
German Tetanie
  • Tetaniecondition
Italian tetania
  • tetaniacondition
Polish tężyczka
  • tężyczkacondition
Spanish tetania
  • tetaniacondition
Cite this entry
APA

tetany. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetany

MLA

“tetany.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetany. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tetany,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetany.

Source: tetany on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.