lockjaw

/ˌlɑkˈdʒɔ/

/ˈlɒkdʒɔ/

Other forms: lockjaws

The serious disease called Tetanus is often referred to as lockjaw. In most parts of the world, people are regularly vaccinated against lockjaw.

Tetanus has long been popularly called lockjaw because one of the disease's earliest effects is muscle spasms in the jaw that can "lock" it closed. Lockjaw is the result of an open wound being infected with a particular strain of bacteria, and it's found in medical history as far back as the fifth century BCE. Without proper immunization or treatment, lockjaw can be deadly.

Definitions of lockjaw

1. noun

   an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages
   synonyms: tetanus

   type of:

   infection

   the pathological state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms