ballism
|bal-li-sm|
/ˈbælɪzəm/
involuntary flinging movement
Etymology
'ballism' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ballismos', from the verb 'ballein' meaning 'to throw'.
'ballism' entered medical usage via Neo-Latin/Modern Latin 'ballismus' and was adopted into English medical terminology in the 19th century to denote involuntary throwing-like movements.
Initially, related forms meant 'the action of throwing', but over time the term evolved in medical contexts to mean 'involuntary flinging movements' as a pathological phenomenon.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a neurological movement disorder marked by sudden, involuntary, violent, flinging or jerking movements, typically of the proximal limbs; often caused by a lesion in the subthalamic nucleus (see hemiballismus for one-sided cases).
The patient developed ballism after the stroke, showing violent flinging movements of the left arm.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/06 18:29