■ adjective
1》 relating to or affected by muscle spasm.
↘of or having a form of muscular weakness ( ~ paralysis ) typical of cerebral palsy, involving reflex resistance to passive movement of the limbs and difficulty in initiating and controlling muscular movement.
2》 informal, offensive incompetent or uncoordinated.
■ noun
1》 a person with cerebral palsy.
2》 informal, offensive an incompetent or uncoordinated person.
Derivatives
~ally adverb
~ity noun
Origin
C18: via L. from Gk spastikos 'pulling', from span 'pull'.
Usage
In modern use the term ~ is likely to cause offence. It is preferable to use phrasing such as person with cerebral palsy instead.