Tetanus, tet′a-nus, n. an involuntary, persistent, intense, and painful contraction or cramp of more or less extensive groups of the voluntary muscles: lockjaw: the state of prolonged contraction of a muscle under stimuli repeated quickly.—adjs. Tetan′ic; Tet′aniform; Tetanig′enous.—n. Tetanisā′tion.—v.t. Tet′anise.—adj. Tet′anoid.—n. Tet′any, a rare and little understood disease of the nervous system, occurring both in children and adults, characterised by recurring attacks of tonic spasm of various muscles, particularly those of the fingers and toes, associated with defective hygienic conditions, imperfect ventilation, poor diet, and in children with rickets. [L.,—Gr.,—tetanos, stretched—teinein, to stretch.]
Tetchy, Techy, tech′i, adj. touchy, peevish, fretful.—adv. Tetch′ily, in a tetchy or fretful manner.—n. Tetch′iness, the state of being tetchy or fretful. [Touchy.]
Tête, tāt, n. a head, head-dress.—n. Tête-à-tête (tāt′-a-tāt′), a private confidential interview: a sofa for two.—adj. confidential, secret.—adv. in private conversation: face to face. [Fr.]
Tether, teth′ėr, n. a rope or chain for tying a beast, while feeding, within certain limits.—v.t. to confine with a tether: to restrain within certain limits. [M. E. tedir, acc. to Skeat, prob. Celt., Gael. teadhair, a tether, W. tid, a chain. The Low Ger. tider, Ice. tjóðir, are prob. borrowed.]
Tetrabranchiate, tet-ra-brang′ki-āt, adj. having four gills.—n.pl. Tetrabranch′iāta.
Tetrachord, tet′ra-kord, n. a series of four sounds, forming a scale of two tones and a half.—adj. Tet′rachordal. [Gr. tetrachordos, four-stringed—tetra, for tetara=tessares, four, chordē, chord.]
Tetrachotomous, tet-ra-kot′ō-mus, adj. doubly dichotomous, arranged in four rows.—n. Tetrac′tomy, a division into four parts. [Gr. tetracha, in four parts, temnein, to cut.]
Tetract, tet′rakt, adj. having four rays.—Also Tetrac′tinal, Tetrac′tine. [Gr., tetra-, four, aktis, a ray.]
Tetrad, tet′rad, n. a group of four: (chem.) an atom, radical, or element having a combining power of four.—adjs. Tet′rad, Tetrad′ic.—n. Tet′radite, one who attaches mystic properties to the number four, one born in the fourth month or on the fourth day of the month.
Tetradactyl, tet-ra-dak′til. adj. having four fingers or toes—also Tetradac′tylous.—n. Tetradac′tyl, a four-toed animal.