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Glite Dictionary
Kernig's sign

Kernig's sign

9.9
A sign when the knee cannot fully straighten with the thigh bent, showing a possible brain infection
  • noun
  • /ˈkɜrnɪɡz saɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : signo de Kernig
  • When the patient was examined, the presence of Kernig's sign indicated possible meningitis.

Examples

  • The doctor noted that the patient's Kernig's sign was positive, which suggested a serious condition.

  • During the neurological assessment, the nurse checked for Kernig's sign to help diagnose the patient's symptoms.

  • Kernig's sign was positive.

    Academic text (2007)

Surface Forms

Kernig's sign singular
Kernig's signs plural

Morphology

Kernig's + sign

This is an eponymic medical term: 'Kernig's' is a proper name with no lexical content for a B1 learner, while 'sign' only signals an indicator. The specific clinical maneuver and diagnostic meaning (inability to extend the knee due to hamstring stiffness indicating possible meningitis) cannot be derived from the parts and requires medical knowledge or prior exposure, so it is opaque.

Etymology

Kernig's sign is named after Dr. Vladimir Kernig. He noticed that when a patient's thigh was bent, they could not fully straighten the knee because the back of the leg was very stiff, and this became a sign that the person might have 'meningitis'.