concussion

noun con·cus·sion \ kən-ˈkə-shən \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of concussion

1 a : a stunning, damaging, or shattering effect from a hard blow; especially : a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function

The football player suffered a concussion.

b : a hard blow or collision

2 : agitation, shaking

The concussion from the explosion was felt 12 miles away.

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concussive

play \kən-ˈkə-siv\ adjective

See concussion defined for English-language learners

See concussion defined for kids

Examples of concussion in a Sentence

She suffered a severe concussion after falling on the ice.
He went to hospital with concussion.

Recent Examples of concussion from the Web

The suit was filed by the family of Rashaun Council, who was a 14-year-old freshman on the district’s Monte Vista High School football team when he was diagnosed with a concussion following an October 2013 game.

— gary warth, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Student awarded $7 M in lawsuit for football brain injury," 6 Apr. 2018
After initial tests were inconclusive, he was also diagnosed with a concussion.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "Joel Embiid's orbital fracture could open the door for Pacers in NBA Playoffs race," 29 Mar. 2018
Also, Jets backup goalie Michael Hutchinson will be out indefinitely with a concussion sustained in Nashville on Tuesday . .

— BostonGlobe.com, "Foxborough makes cut as possible World Cup host," 16 Mar. 2018
One interesting moment in the episode is Brady’s first conversation with Rob Gronkowski after the Patriots tight end was knocked out of the AFC Championship Game against the Jaguars with a concussion.

— rob tornoe, Philly.com, "Tom Brady opens up about Super Bowl loss: 'I thought we were going to win'," 12 Mar. 2018
Pedro is out with a left knee injury, Jamieson has missed the last six weeks with a concussion and Alessandrini strained his right hamstring in the second half of last Sunday's season opener.

— kevin baxter, latimes.com, "Injuries are forcing the Galaxy to test their depth early as they prepare to face NYC," 10 Mar. 2018
Many reported a variety of symptoms such as hearing loss, headaches, cognitive problems and other ailments that doctors said correlate with concussions.

— nora gámez torres, miamiherald, "Computer scientists may have solved the mystery behind the ‘sonic attacks’ in Cuba | Miami Herald," 2 Mar. 2018
Holy Cross got the job done without 6-foot-6 sophomore center Aaron Ursin, who was sidelined with a concussion.

— michael democker, NOLA.com, "Brother Martin wins state wrestling team title," 18 Feb. 2018
While many of the symptoms were similar to those experienced with a concussion, there was no evidence of physical trauma, and MRI examinations showed no significant brain abnormalities.

— Washington Post, "Doctors find neurological damage to Americans who served in Cuba," 14 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'concussion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of concussion

Middle English concussioun, from Latin concussion-, concussio, from concutere to shake violently, from com- + quatere to shake

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

concussion Synonyms

Synonyms

bump, collision, crash, impact, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, kick, shock, slam, smash, strike, wallop;

bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing;

contact, encounter, meeting, touch;

Synonym Discussion of concussion

impact, collision, shock, concussion mean a forceful, even violent contact between two or more things. impact may be used to imply contact between two things, at least one of which is impelled toward the other.

- the glass shattered on impact with the floor

collision implies the coming together of two or more things with such force that both or all are damaged or their progress is severely impeded.

- the collision damaged the vehicle

shock often denotes the effect produced by a collision and carries the suggestion of something that strikes or hits with force.

- the shock of falling rocks

concussion when not in technical use, often suggests the shattering, disrupting, or weakening effects of a collision, explosion, or blow.

- bystanders felt the concussion of the blast

CONCUSSION Defined for English Language Learners

concussion

noun

Definition of concussion for English Language Learners

: an injury to the brain that is caused by something hitting the head very hard ( US ) ( Brit )

CONCUSSION Defined for Kids

concussion

noun con·cus·sion \ kən-ˈkə-shən \

Definition of concussion for Students

: injury to the brain caused by a hard hit on the head

Medical Dictionary

concussion

noun con·cus·sion \ kən-ˈkəsh-ən \

medical Definition of concussion

1 : a hard blow or collision

2 : a condition resulting from the stunning, damaging, or shattering effects of a hard blow; especially : a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function and sometimes marked by permanent damage

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