Other forms: epileptics; epileptically
Anything described as epileptic is related to the nervous system disorder that can cause convulsions. An epileptic seizure often makes the body shake uncontrollably.
Both epileptic and epilepsy come from a Greek root that means "to seize." It's a good description of an epileptic event, in which a person shakes or moves convulsively as though something has taken hold of them. The causes of this disorder aren't fully understood. Though it was once common to describe a person with epilepsy as an epileptic, it's rarely used that way today.