Pronunciation: ' grän(d)- ˌ mäl, ' grä n - ˌ mäl, - ˌ mal; ' gran(d)- ˌ mal
Function: noun
Etymology: F, literally, great illness
Date: 1897
: severe epilepsy characterized by seizures which are initially tonic and then become clonic and by loss of consciousness also : a seizure characteristic of grand mal