CLONUS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does clonus mean? 

• CLONUS (noun)
  The noun CLONUS has 1 sense:

1. convulsion characterized by alternating contractions and relaxations

  Familiarity information: CLONUS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CLONUS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Convulsion characterized by alternating contractions and relaxations

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("clonus" is a kind of...):

convulsion (violent uncontrollable contractions of muscles)

Derivation:

clonic (of or relating to abnormal neuromuscular activity characterized by rapidly alternating muscle contraction and relaxation)

 Context examples 

A simple partial seizure consisting of clonus or spasm of a muscle or muscle group; it may be single or in a continuous and repetitive series or may spread to adjacent muscles.

(Partial Motor Seizure, NCI Thesaurus)

In the context of reflex testing, the ability to elicit clonus indicates injury to the nerve tracts above the point at which the reflex was initiated.

(Clonus, NCI Thesaurus)