# tetanus

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɛt.ən.əs/ · frequency rank #34,715

## Definitions
1. A serious and often fatal disease caused by the infection of an open wound with the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani, found in soil and the intestines and faeces of animals.
2. A state of muscle tension caused by sustained contraction arising from a rapid series of nerve impulses which do not allow the muscle to relax.

## Etymology
From Latin tetanus, from Ancient Greek τέτανος (tétanos), from τείνω (teínō, “I stretch”).

## Common misspellings (10)
`ettanus`, `teatnus`, `tetannus`, `tetansu`, `tetanuss`, `tetauns`, `tetnaus`, `tettanus`, `tteanus`, `ttetanus`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tetanus