PARALYSIS (paralyses)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: paralyses   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does paralysis mean? 

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

1. loss of the ability to move a body part

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• PARALYSIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Loss of the ability to move a body part

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

palsy; paralysis

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

disfunction; dysfunction ((medicine) any disturbance in the functioning of an organ or body part or a disturbance in the functioning of a social group)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "paralysis"):

akinesia; akinesis (motionlessness attributable to a temporary paralysis)

alalia (paralysis of the vocal cords resulting in an inability to speak)

cystoparalysis; cystoplegia (paralysis of the urinary bladder)

diplegia (paralysis of corresponding parts on both sides of the body)

Erb's palsy; Erb-Duchenne paralysis (paralysis of the arm resulting from injury to the brachial plexus (usually during childbirth))

monoplegia (paralysis of a single limb)

ophthalmoplegia (paralysis of the motor nerves of the eye)

paresis (a slight or partial paralysis)

paraplegia (paralysis of the lower half of the body (most often as a result of trauma))

hemiplegia; unilateral paralysis (paralysis of one side of the body)

quadriplegia (paralysis of both arms and both legs)

Derivation:

paralytic (affected with paralysis)

paralytic; paralytical (relating to or of the nature of paralysis)

 Context examples 

Muscle disorders can cause weakness, pain or even paralysis.

(Muscle Disorders, NIH)

There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs.

(Neural Tube Defects, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Signs and symptoms include loss of vision, weakness and paralysis of the extremities, and loss of sensation.

(Neuromyelitis Optica, NCI Thesaurus)

Weakness or paralysis of at least one of the muscles controlling the movement of the eye.

(Ophthalmoplegia, NCI Thesaurus)

Permanent contraction of a muscle as a result of spasm or paralysis.

(Muscle Contracture, NCI Thesaurus)

As a result, neurons or muscle cells remain at either hyperpolarisation or depolarization state, thereby resulting in paralysis and death of the parasites.

(Ivermectin, NCI Thesaurus)

NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION DISEASES and MUSCULAR DISEASES may also cause facial paralysis or paresis.

(Facial Nerve Paralysis, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Paralysis of one side of the body.

(Hemiplegia, NCI Thesaurus)

Hycanthone interferes with parasite nerve function, resulting in parasite paralysis and death.

(Hycanthone, NCI Thesaurus)

An autosomal dominant inherited or genetic disorder characterized by irregular episodes of muscle weakness or paralysis which are always accompanied by low levels of potassium in the blood.

(Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis, NCI Thesaurus)