Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various disorders of the nervous system marked by involuntary, jerky movements, especially of the arms, legs, and face, and by incoordination.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A nervous disease, usually occurring before puberty, marked by irregular and involuntary motions of one or more limbs and of the face and trunk, which, however, cease in sleep. Its morbid anatomy is undetermined. Also called St. Vitus's dance.—
  • noun [capitalized] [NL.] In entomology, a genus of coleopterous insects.
  • noun Same as paralysis agitans.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Med.) St. Vitus's dance; a disease attended with convulsive twitchings and other involuntary movements of the muscles or limbs.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An Ancient Greek circular dance accompanied by a chorus.
  • noun medicine Any of the various diseases of the nervous system characterized by involuntary muscular movements of the face and extremities; St. Vitus's dance.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any of several degenerative nervous disorders characterized by spasmodic movements of the body and limbs
  • noun chorea in dogs

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin chorēa (Sānctī Vitī), (Saint Vitus') dance, from Latin chorēa, from Greek khoreia, choral dance, from khoros; see chorus.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek χορεία.

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Examples

  • Convulsive motions agitate his legs, so that though he wills it ever so much, he cannot by any power of his mind stop their motion, (as in that odd disease called chorea sancti viti), but he is perpetually dancing; he is not at liberty in this action, but under as much necessity of moving, as a stone that falls, or a tennis-ball struck with a racket.

    An Essay Concerning Human Understanding 2007

  • Such movements are referred to as chorea (koh-ree'ah; "dance" G).

    The Human Brain Asimov, Isaac 1963

  • Their parents should know that they have chorea, which is the same trouble as St. Vitus's Dance, although often existing in a degree too mild to attract attention.

    Civics and Health William H. Allen

  • The great physician Sydenham gave the first accurate description of what is to-day called chorea, and hence the disease has been named ` ` Sydenham's chorea. ''

    Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

  • The great physician Sydenham gave the first accurate description of what is to-day called chorea, and hence the disease has been named "Sydenham's chorea."

    Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

  • "What disease is characterized by sudden jerky movements called chorea?"

    NYT > Home Page By THEODORIC MEYER 2012

  • "What disease is characterized by sudden jerky movements called chorea?"

    NYT > Home Page By THEODORIC MEYER 2012

  • HD is the most common genetic cause of involuntary writhing movements (called chorea), and is more common in people of Western European decent than in those from Asia or Africa.

    THE MEDICAL NEWS 2010

  • HD is the most common genetic cause of involuntary writhing movements (called chorea), and is more common in people of Western European decent than in those from Asia or Africa.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • HD affects muscle co-ordination, often causing involuntary writhing movements called chorea, and it leads to cognitive decline.

    BBC News | News Front Page | World Edition 2010

Comments

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  • Thanks, WeirdNet.

    January 7, 2009

  • Chorea in dogs? I'm fond of wiktionary's "An en en en accompanied by a en."

    November 6, 2012

  • So... en en en en, then?

    November 7, 2012

  • En-deed!

    November 7, 2012

  • These are the en-ed times.

    November 8, 2012