palsy

noun pal·sy \ ˈpȯl-zē \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of palsy

plural palsies

1 : paralysis —used chiefly in combination

oculomotor palsy

— see bell's palsy, cerebral palsy

2 : a condition that is marked by uncontrollable tremor and quivering of the body or one or more of its parts —not used technically

… an involuntary shake that was to prove the prelude to age's palsy.
—Angus Wilson

See palsy defined for English-language learners

See palsy defined for kids

Examples of palsy in a Sentence

palsy can sometimes be caused by a brain injury

Recent Examples of palsy from the Web

Symptoms include heart palpitations, facial palsy and arthritis.

— n'dea yancey-bragg, USA TODAY, "Tick season: what you need to know about ticks and how to remove them," 23 May 2018
Later signs and symptoms include severe headaches, neck stiffness, arthritis with severe joint pain, facial palsy, nerve pain, shooting pains, problems with short-term memory.

— kara driscoll, ajc, "Lyme disease: 7 questions answered about tick-borne infections," 7 May 2018
Headaches, keener hearing, periods of amnesia, marked muscular tenseness, tremors and palsies.

— johnny miller, San Francisco Chronicle, "Copter pilot faulted in crash that killed Bill Graham," 2 May 2018
While Samms didn’t reveal what may have caused Bell’s palsy to occur the NHS revealed the disease is most likely caused by an infection and cannot be prevented.

— stephanie nolasco, Fox News, "'Dynasty' actress Emma Samms gives update on paralysis from Bell's palsy," 1 May 2018
Additionally, this video hints at nerve issues, as his rehab seemed to include work for a peroneal nerve palsy with foot drop, which often happens with this level of trauma.

— profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Zach Miller video shows he is attacking rehab," 10 Dec. 2017
The cause was progressive supranuclear palsy, said a daughter, Theresa Robinson.

— staff reports, Washington Post, "Notable deaths in the Washington area," 11 Oct. 2017
The Center provides intense motor therapy to children with cerebral palsy.

— pioneer press, chicagotribune.com, "Children's Lemonade Stand raises $6,045 for church," 19 July 2017
Nett, an activist who has cerebral palsy, spoke through a friend to voice his concerns about the bill's deep cuts to Medicaid, the state-federal health plan for low-income people that helps pay for services for disabled people.

— deborah yetter, The Courier-Journal, "Rep. Yarmuth's message at Sunday health care forum: Keep speaking out," 9 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of palsy

Middle English palesie, alteration of parlesey, from Anglo-French paralisie, from Latin paralysis

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

palsy Synonyms

Synonyms

paralysis;

Near Antonyms

mobility, motility, sensation;

debilitation, debility, decrepitude, enfeeblement, feebleness, frailness, frailty, weakness;

infirmity, lameness;

disability, impairment;

paraplegia, paresis, quadriplegia, spastic paralysis;

palsy

verb

Definition of palsy

palsied; palsying

transitive verb

: to affect with or as if with palsy

Recent Examples of palsy from the Web

Things Became Difficult’ A doctor can usually diagnose Bell’s palsy just by looking at a person, but may decide to do a blood test, MRI, or CT scan to rule out other causes of facial paralysis, like diabetes or tumors.

— sarah klein, PEOPLE.com, "Angelina Jolie Was Diagnosed With Bell’s Palsy — Here’s What You Need to Know About It," 26 July 2017

First Known Use of palsy

1615

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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palsy

adjective \ ˈpal-zē \

Definition of palsy

: palsy-walsy

See palsy defined for English-language learners

Examples of palsy in a Sentence

the salesman changed his palsy attitude when he realized that I wasn't buying

Recent Examples of palsy from the Web

In this very chummy palsy-walsy letter to Kim Jong-un.

— Fox News, "Analyzing Trump's history of tough talk on North Korea," 25 May 2018
Steuart Gantt Wilson, a former secretary and community volunteer who was a devoted Orioles fan, died of progressive nuclear palsy Oct, 18 at her Timonium home.

— jacques kelly, baltimoresun.com, "Steuart G. Wilson, volunteer and Orioles fan," 23 Oct. 2017
Bell’s palsy indicates facial weakness, usually only on one side of the face due to damage or dysfunction of the facial nerve, one of the cranial nerves of the body.

— meredith cohn, baltimoresun.com, "Bell's Palsy a common condition, usually treatable," 23 Aug. 2017
The center will include specific programs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and feeding disorders.

— jennifer larino, NOLA.com, "Ochsner to open a new center for children with disabilities in 2018," 9 Aug. 2017
A 47-year-old former Middletown woman, serving a 10-year state prison sentence in the death of a 14-year-old cerebral palsy patient in her care, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for filing fake Medicaid claims in the case.

— chris graves, Cincinnati.com, "Middletown caregiver sentenced for defrauding Medicaid in disabled Dayton teen's death," 27 July 2017
Wasserman, 60, died of progressive supranuclear palsy June 26 at her home in Manhattan's Stuyvesant Town area, her sister said.

— bob goldsborough, chicagotribune.com, "Suzanne Wasserman, historian and documentary filmmaker, dies," 21 July 2017
Both asked for custody of their 5-year-old son, who court documents say has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.

— beatriz valenzuela, The Mercury News, "California grandmother pleads not guilty in stabbing; court papers detail family struggles," 9 June 2017
But another remarkable participant was Jamie Watts, who has cerebral palsy and uses a cane.

— diane bell, sandiegouniontribune.com, "An unexpected gift forges a lasting friendship," 5 June 2017

First Known Use of palsy

1951

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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palsy Synonyms

PALSY Defined for Kids

palsy

noun pal·sy \ ˈpȯl-zē \

Definition of palsy for Students

1 : paralysis

2 : an uncontrollable trembling of the body or a part of the body

Medical Dictionary

palsy

noun pal·sy \ ˈpȯl-zē \

medical Definition of palsy

plural palsies

1 : paralysis —used chiefly in combination

oculomotor palsy

— see bell's palsy, cerebral palsy

2 : a condition that is characterized by uncontrollable tremor or quivering of the body or one or more of its parts —not used technically

Learn More about palsy

See words that rhyme with palsy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for palsy Spanish Central: Translation of palsy Nglish: Translation of palsy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of palsy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about palsy

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palsy

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