tetanus

noun/ˈtɛtənəs/

Frequency rank: #14,947 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

A serious bacterial infection that causes painful muscle stiffness and spasms, especially in the jaw.

Illustration for the English word “tetanus”

Example sentence

After stepping on a rusty nail, she went to the clinic to get the tetanus shot.

Synonyms & related words

  • lockjaw

More words in ranks 14,901–15,000