Tĕt'a-nŭs, n.

n. [Lat., Gr. τέτανος, from τετανός, stretched, from τείνειν, to stretch.] (Med.) A painful and usually fatal disease, resulting generally from a wound, of which the principal symptom is persistent spasm of the voluntary muscles. When the muscles of the lower jaw are affected, it is called locked-jaw, and takes various names from the various incurvations of the body resulting from the spasm.