lockjaw: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowMedical/Informal
Quick answer
What does “lockjaw” mean?
A medical condition where the jaw muscles become stiff and difficult to open, typically caused by tetanus infection.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A medical condition where the jaw muscles become stiff and difficult to open, typically caused by tetanus infection.
Informal term for tetanus itself; can metaphorically describe any situation causing jaw stiffness or extreme tension.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term identically. No significant regional variation in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Carries strong medical/clinical connotations in both varieties. May sound slightly old-fashioned or dramatic in casual speech.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both UK and US English. More common in historical medical texts than contemporary usage.
Grammar
How to Use “lockjaw” in a Sentence
Patient + develop + lockjawLockjaw + caused by + tetanusSuffer from + lockjawVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “lockjaw” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient's jaw began to lockjaw after the infection spread.
American English
- Without treatment, the wound could cause you to lockjaw.
adjective
British English
- He showed lockjaw symptoms within a week.
American English
- The lockjaw condition required immediate hospitalisation.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used
Academic
Occasionally in medical or historical contexts
Everyday
Rare, mostly in discussions of vaccinations or old injuries
Technical
Medical terminology, though 'trismus' or 'tetanus' are preferred
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “lockjaw”
- Using 'lockjaw' to refer to TMJ disorders (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) - these are different conditions.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Lockjaw is both a common name for tetanus and specifically refers to one of its main symptoms (jaw stiffness).
Extremely rare in developed countries due to widespread vaccination, but still occurs in areas with limited medical access.
Not directly from rust itself. The tetanus bacteria live in soil and enter through wounds; rusty objects are dangerous because they often carry soil bacteria and cause deep wounds.
Lockjaw (trismus) is involuntary muscle spasm usually from infection. TMJ disorders involve joint dysfunction without infection and aren't life-threatening.
A medical condition where the jaw muscles become stiff and difficult to open, typically caused by tetanus infection.
Lockjaw is usually medical/informal in register.
Lockjaw: in British English it is pronounced /ˈlɒk.dʒɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈlɑːk.dʒɑː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this term”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
LOCK + JAW = your jaw locks shut like a padlock.
Conceptual Metaphor
BODY IS A MACHINE THAT CAN MALFUNCTION (jaw 'locks' like broken machinery)
Practice
Quiz
What primarily causes lockjaw?