(n)a form of schizophrenia characterized by a tendency to remain in a fixed stuporous state for long periods; the catatonia may give way to short periods of extreme excitement, Syn.catatonia, catatonic type schizophrenia
(n)small slender plant having one pair of succulent leaves at the middle of the stem and a loose raceme of white or pink or rose bowl-shaped flowers and an edible corm, Syn.Clatonia lanceolata
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
n. [ Gr. katatonos, stretching down, depressed, fr. kata` down + to`nos stretching, straining, tone (sound). Stedman. ] (Psychiatry) an abnormal behavioral syndrome characterized by stupor, negativism, and muscular rigidity, sometimes alternating with purposeless excitement, and seen most frequently in schizophrenia; called also catatonic schizophrenia. [ PJC ]