A disease (tetanus) caused by bacteria that makes jaw muscles tighten so you can't open your mouth; also means being unable or unwilling to speak.
From lock + jaw. Literally describes the symptom of tetanus (from Greek tetanos 'stretched'). A direct, descriptive medical term.
Lockjaw is tetanus, which used to kill tons of people from infected wounds before vaccines. Now in rich countries it's nearly eliminated, but in poor countries without vaccination access, tetanus still kills newborns and farmers. It's why we get tetanus shots after stepping on rusty nails.
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