shaking palsy
- noun
- /ˈʃeɪkɪŋ ˈpɔlzi/
- Archaic
:
parálisis temblorosa
- My grandfather suffered from shaking palsy for many years.
Examples
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The condition once known as shaking palsy is today called Parkinson's disease.
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James Parkinson wrote a seminal essay describing the symptoms of shaking palsy in 1817.
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In the 19th century, doctors struggled to treat patients suffering from shaking palsy.
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Many patients with shaking palsy experience tremors.
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Many elderly individuals suffering from shaking palsy find it difficult to perform daily tasks.
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Therapies for shaking palsy focus on improving mobility and reducing tremors.
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The doctor explained that shaking palsy is characterized by tremors and stiffness in the muscles.
Synonyms
19
3.1
A long-term brain illness that causes shaking, stiff muscles, and slow movement
A long-term brain disease that causes shaking, stiff muscles and slow movement
A brain disease that gets worse and causes tremors, stiffness, and slow movement
A brain disease that causes shaking, stiff muscles, and slow movement
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents contribute directly to the meaning: 'shaking' denotes tremor and 'palsy' denotes paralysis or a nervous disorder, so their combination transparently denotes a medical condition involving tremor/paralysis (i.e. Parkinsonian illness). While 'palsy' is somewhat technical, a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Shaking palsy comes from the clear picture of a person whose body trembles: shaking describes the movement and palsy was an old word for weakness. A doctor named James Parkinson used this name in 1817 to describe the illness we now call 'Parkinson's disease', so the phrase came to mean that illness.