Word of the Day

: October 8, 2007

jactitation

noun jak-tuh-TAY-shun

What It Means

: a tossing to and fro or jerking and twitching of the body

jactitation in Context

"It is clear that Mrs Y.'s tics are far more complex in form than mere Parkinsonian jerks, jactitations, or precipitations. . .." (Oliver Sacks, Awakenings)

Did You Know?

In the 17th century, lawyers began tossing around the word "jactitation," which can be traced back to the Latin verb "jactare," meaning "to throw." Originally, "jactitation" was used as a word for a false claim or assertion being publicly thrown about to the detriment of another person. Run-of-the-mill slander and false claims of being married to someone were two common types of jactitation brought to court. Before long, "jactitation" had jumped over to the medical profession, where it continues to serve as a word for restless, jerky, or twitchy body movements. In 1761, British writer Laurence Sterne threw "jactitation" into his novel Tristram Shandy as a substitute for "discussion," but that meaning never caught on.