Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
spastic. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
spastic, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
spastic in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
spastic you have here. The definition of the word
spastic will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
spastic, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin spasticus, from Ancient Greek σπαστικός (spastikós, “drawing in”). By surface analysis, spasm + -tic. Compare French spastique and see also spasm.
Pronunciation
Adjective
spastic (comparative more spastic, superlative most spastic)
- (pathology) Of, relating to, or affected by spasm.
- (pathology) Of or relating to spastic paralysis.
- (slang, derogatory, offensive in the UK and Ireland) Incompetent or physically uncoordinated.
- (slang, derogatory, offensive in the UK and Ireland) Hyperactive or behaving erratically.
Usage notes
See the usage notes about the noun, below.
Derived terms
Translations
of, relating to, or affected by spasm
of or relating to spastic paralysis
hyperactive, excited, and random manner
Noun
spastic (plural spastics)
- (now offensive, especially in UK and Ireland) A person affected by spastic paralysis or spastic cerebral palsy.
- (slang, derogatory, offensive especially in UK and Ireland) A stupid, clumsy person.
1997 December 1, Peter Baynham, Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci, “To Kill a Mocking Alan”, in I'm Alan Partridge:Jed Maxwell: See you next week then. We'll have that pint.
Alan Partridge: Yep.
Jed Maxwell: ...go and see my brother.
Alan Partridge: No way, you big spastic! You're a mentalist!
Usage notes
The offensiveness of spastic and spaz differs considerably between the US and the UK. In the United States, the terms are usually inoffensive outside of the disability community; in the UK and Ireland, they are broadly offensive and typically taken as denigrating references to those with cerebral palsy. Consequently, University of Sussex linguist Lynne Murphy has described spastic as "one of the most taboo insults to a British ear",[1] and in a 2003 survey by the BBC it was voted the second-most offensive word relating to disability (after retard).[2][3]
Derived terms
Translations
person affected by spastic paralysis or spastic cerebral palsy
References
- ^ Murphy, M Lynne (2007 February 28) “spastic, learning disability”, in Separated by a Common Language, retrieved 2007-08-17
- ^ “BBC worst word vote”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), 2007 March 20 (last accessed), archived from the original on 20 March 2007
- ^ The s-word, by Damon Rose, BBC News, 12 April 2006
Anagrams
Interlingua
Adjective
spastic (not comparable)
- spastic
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French spastique.
Adjective
spastic m or n (feminine singular spastică, masculine plural spastici, feminine and neuter plural spastice)
- spastic
Declension