Concussions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An injury to the brain caused by a sudden impact, resulting in immediate but often short-lived dysfunction that can include cognitive changes, headaches, and balance difficulties
2. A temporary brain impairment due to a blow to the head, affecting mental clarity, causing symptoms such as confusion, headaches, and disturbances in coordination
3. Brain injuries from a sudden blow or jolt that disrupt normal function temporarily

Etymology: "Concussions" is the plural of "concussion," so the word's history is that of the singular. "Concussion" comes from Latin "concussio," a noun meaning a violent shaking or shock, built from "concutere," to strike or shake violently, and the English noun is formed from the verb "concuss" plus the suffix "-ion," which turns an action into a noun. Medically, the sense of a brain injury from a blow is a later narrowing of that general idea. Earlier English uses of "concussion" referred to any violent jolt or shaking, whether of a body, a building, or the air, and the head-injury meaning developed from that broader sense of forceful shock.

Synonyms: head injury, traumatic brain injury, impact injury