1890, from French tétanie "intermitent tetanus," from Modern Latin tetania (see tetanus).
Entries linking to tetany
tetanus n.
infectious disease, late 14c., from Latin tetanus "tetanus," from Greek tetanos "tetanus, muscular spasm," literally "a stretching, tension," from teinein "to stretch" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch"); "so called because the disease is characterized by violent spasms and stiffness of the muscles" [Barnhart]. Related: Tetanoid (adj.).