| fade | 1. To become fade; to grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant. "The earth mourneth and fadeth away." (Is. Xxiv. 4) 2. To lose freshness, colour, or brightness; to become faint in hue or tint; hence, to be wanting in colour. "Flowers that never fade." 3. To sink away; to disappear gradually; to grow dim; to vanish. "The stars shall fade away." (Addison) "He makes a swanlike end, Fading in music." (Shak) Origin: OE. Faden, vaden, prob. Fr. Fade,; cf. Prov. D. Vadden to fade, wither, vaddigh languid, torpid. Cf. Fade, Vade. Weak; insipid; tasteless; commonplace. "Passages that are somewhat fade." "His masculine taste gave him a sense of something fade and ludicrous." (De Quincey) Origin: F, prob. Fr. L. Vapidus vapid, or possibly fr,fatuus foolish, insipid. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| tetanic | 1. <physiology> Of or pertaining to tetanus; having the character of tetanus; as, a tetanic state; tetanic contraction. "This condition of muscle, this fusion of a number of simple spasms into an apparently smooth, continuous effort, is known as tetanus, or tetanic contraction." (Foster) 2. <medicine> Producing, or tending to produce, tetanus, or tonic contraction of the muscles; as, a tetanic remedy. See Tetanic. Origin: Cf. L. Tetanicus suffering from tetanus, Gr, F. Tetanique. <medicine> A substance (notably nux vomica, strychnine, and brucine) which, either as a remedy or a poison, acts primarily on the spinal cord, and which, when taken in comparatively large quantity, produces tetanic spasms or convulsions. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tetanic convulsion | A convulsion in which muscle contraction is sustained. Synonym: tetanic convulsion, tonic seizure. (05 Mar 2000) |