catalepsy.

A condition of markedly reduced movement in which a person may remain rigid and maintain a posture for an unusual time.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• cataleptic state
• a period of catalepsy

On the page

The clinician checked for catalepsy rather than assuming the patient was unconscious.

During the episode of catalepsy, his raised arm remained in position.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Uncountable condition noun; no ordinary plural. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.