Library / English Dictionary

PARALYSIS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: paralyses   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Loss of the ability to move a body part

Synonyms:

palsy; paralysis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body.

(Paralysis, NIH)

Complete paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs, often caused by damage to the spinal cord.

(Paraplegia, NCI Thesaurus)

Paralysis of the legs and lower part of the body.

(Paraplegia, Food and Drug Administration)

This leads to delayed repolarization and subsequent paralysis of the nervous system.

(Permethrin, NCI Thesaurus)

Paralysis of the nerves located in the legs.

(Peroneal Nerve Paralysis, NCI Thesaurus)

A slight paralysis or weakness of both legs.

(Paraparesis, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by incomplete paralysis of an extraocular muscle.

(Extraocular Muscle Paresis, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

It can be caused by an injury to, or paralysis of, nerves in the neck, or by a tumor.

(Horner syndrome, NCI Dictionary)

Patients develop paralysis, ataxia and loss of sensation.

(Brown-Sequard Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

An injury that results in paralysis of the muscles of the shoulder, arm, and hand.

(Brachial Plexus Palsy, NCI Thesaurus)