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catatonia

noun

  1. psychopathological syndrome, a group of postural and movement abnormalities
L317795 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˌkætəˈtoʊniə/

noun

Etymology: From international scientific vocabulary, from German Katatonie, from New Latin catatonia, from a Greek word meaning to stretch tight. By surface analysis, cata- + tone + -ia.

  1. A severe psychiatric condition, often associated with schizophrenia, characterized by a tendency to remain in a rigid state of stupor for long periods which give way to short periods of extreme agitation.
  2. A frozen, unresponsive state, as of electronic equipment.

    “Relay that!” Thwaite shouted. Somewhere on the bridge a hand closed over a relay and dropped the AIDs into an electronic catatonia.