| long-tongue | torticollis Previous: writing, writing hand, wrongful life, wrought wire, wrybill, wrymouthNext: wry neck, wuchereria, wuchereria bancrofti, Wuchereria malayilong-tongue -->wry neck 1. A twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the muscles of the neck; torticollis. Medically called spasmodic torticollis, or torticollis. The most common of the focal dystonias. In torticollis, the muscles in the neck that control the position of the head are affected, causing the head to twist and turn to one side. In addition, the head may be pulled forward or backward. 2. <ornithology> Any one of several species of Old World birds of the genus Jynx, allied to the woodpeckers; especially, the common European species (J. Torguilla); so called from its habit of turning the neck around in different directions. Synonym: cuckoo's mate, snakebird, summer bird, tonguebird, and writheneck. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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