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paralysis

[puh-ral-uh-sis]

Example Sentences Origin

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noun, plural -ses

[-seez] .

Pathology.

a loss or impairment of voluntary movement in a body part, caused by injury or disease of the nerves, brain, or spinal cord.

a disease characterized by this, especially palsy.

a state of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act: The strike caused a paralysis of all shipping.

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Origin:
before 1150; < Latin < Greek parálysis, equivalent to paraly-, var stem of paralȳ́ein to loosen (i.e., disable) on one side (para- para-¹ + lȳ́ein to loosen) + -sis -sis; replacing Middle English paralisi(e) < Old French < Latin, as above; replacing late Old English paralisin (accusative) < Latin, as above; compare palsy

Related forms

non·pa·ral·y·sis, noun, plural -ses.

sem·i·pa·ral·y·sis, noun, plural -ses.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Paralysis is a GRE word you need to know.

So is parable. Does it mean:

equipment necessary for a particular activity

short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious or moral lesson

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Example Sentences

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is an inherited disorder that causes occasional episodes of muscle weakness.

The notion that too much choice leads to paralysis might well be true here and there.

Japan's political paralysis has caused yet another wild week in the financial markets.

EXPAND

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is an inherited disorder that causes occasional episodes of muscle weakness.

The notion that too much choice leads to paralysis might well be true here and there.

Japan's political paralysis has caused yet another wild week in the financial markets.

Small amounts taken over a long stretch produce weakness, confusion, paralysis.

Stroke victims cannot perceive paralysis in themselves--or others.

It's the stuff of science fiction: paralysis at the flip of a switch.

Treatments for paralysis and other ailments in foreign countries are tempting for those facing a lifetime of dependence on others.

Hard- and soft-bodied female ticks are believed to make a poison that can cause paralysis in children.

And for those outside of power, trying to figure out the message intended by any action leads to paralysis.

Since then, however, it has collapsed into virtual paralysis.

In rare cases, the disease can trigger paralysis or death.

Transplanted cells come to the aid of paralysis victims.

The loss of brain cells leaves stroke victims with disabilities such as memory lapse, loss of speech, or paralysis.

Paralysis and loss of sensation of part of the body are common.

It also gets me beyond the paralysis of a blank page.

But four months after they first seized up, the credit markets remain in a state of paralysis.

Toxin-target contact results in death from respiratory paralysis or shock.

Once injured, they are incapable of regaining functionality, which often inflicts paralysis and numbness on the victim.

Hope for paralysis victims comes from monkeys playing computer games.

There was something almost startling in the sudden paralysis of business down town.

Mercosur's paralysis is beginning to exasperate businessmen.

Pyrethrins come from chrysanthemum flowers and cause paralysis in insects.

Some exceptional children are constantly wary of failure, leading them to emotional paralysis.

But paralysis isn't commonly understood to be a consequence of stun-gunning.

Embryonic stem cells may someday help doctors treat ills ranging from paralysis to diabetes.

Humankind is once again sitting on it's hands in a state of mental paralysis about what to do.

The poison kills by entering the bloodstream and causing paralysis.

Facial paralysis occurs when a person is no longer able to move some or all of the muscles on one side of the face.

For mediators committed to reviving the wobbly peace process, this paralysis is a rare piece of good news.

In many countries, infighting within a coalition leads to political paralysis.

Looters have taken advantage of government paralysis and lawlessness in some parts of the country.

The activism of the last two years is likely to give way to paralysis in the next two.

Such individuals do not enter the standard state of temporary paralysis that prevents any flailing about during dreams.

Bittner has quadriplegia, a type of paralysis that limits the functionality of his arms.

The partial paralysis with which he had been afflicted during.

The crackdown has also brought paralysis in public administration.

The inaction indeed seems to stem from a paralysis in the face of so daunting a problem.

The economy approached paralysis as foreign commerce, tourism and banking all but halted.

Treating paralysis or encouraging dysfunctional organs to secrete vital compounds are also possibilities.

People with facial paralysis have no trouble reading others' expressions, a study finds.

To mix the two up is simply to prolong the argument in a way that simply promotes paralysis.

There may be signs of decreased breathing caused by paralysis of the breathing muscles.

Erb's paralysis affects the upper arm and lower arm.

Broun underwent surgery to remove a spinal tumor, resulting in paralysis.

Without protective measures, childhood sports can lead to disillusionment, injuries and even paralysis or death.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

paralysis (pəˈrælɪsɪs)

—n , pl -ses
1.	pathol
	a. impairment or loss of voluntary muscle function or of sensation (sensory paralysis) in a part or area of the body, usually caused by a lesion or disorder of the muscles or the nerves supplying them
	b. a disease characterized by such impairment or loss; palsy
2.	cessation or impairment of activity: paralysis of industry by strikes

[C16: via Latin from Greek paralusis; see para-¹, -lysis]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

paralysis

1520s, from Gk. paralysis, lit. "loosening," from paralyein "disable, enfeeble," from para- "beside" + lyein "loosen, untie," cognate with L. luere "to loose, release, atone for, expiate," O.E. for-leosan "to lose, destroy," losian "to perish, be lost" (see lose). Earlier

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form was paralysie (late 14c., see palsy). O.E. equivalent was lyft adl (see left (adj.)).

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

paralysis pa·ral·y·sis (pə-rāl'ĭ-sĭs)
n. pl. pa·ral·y·ses (-sēz')

Loss of power of voluntary movement in a muscle through injury or through disease of its nerve supply.
Loss of sensation over a region of the body.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

paralysis

(pə-rāl'ĭ-sĭs) Pronunciation Key
Loss or impairment of voluntary movement or sensation in a part of the body, usually as a result of neurologic injury or disease.

American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

paralysis [(puh-ral-uh-sis)]

The loss of voluntary movement in a body part. Paralysis results from damage to the nerves that supply the affected part of the body.

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pseudoparalysis stroke -lysis amyotrophic lateral sclerosis apraxia azoturia

Matching Quote

"Every night as I gazed up at the window I said softly to myself the word paralysis. It had always sounded strangely in my ears, like the word gnomon in the Euclid and the word simony in the Catechism. But now it sounded to me like the name of some maleficent and sinful being. It filled me with fear, and yet I longed to be nearer to it and to look upon its deadly work."

-James Joyce

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