tetanus meaning

tetanus as a noun

1. 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: lockjaw

   Type of: infection

2. a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses

   Type of: contraction

tetanus in a sentence

• The tetanus shot hurt me more than the dog bite did.
• You should get a tetanus booster shot once every ten years.
• When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?
• I'm pretty sure I had a tetanus shot.
• I'm not vaccinated against tetanus.

How to pronounce tetanus

tetanus is pronounced /ˈtɛtənəs/ in American English. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.