Quadriplegic

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌkwɒd.ɹɪˈp(ə)liː.dʒɪk/

Definitions

1. A person who has lost the ability to move both arms and both legs due to injury or illness affecting the spinal cord
2. An individual who is unable to use all four limbs resulting from a severe spinal cord injury or medical condition affecting motor control
3. Someone who has lost voluntary movement and sensation in both arms and legs due to a significant neurological impairment

Etymology: "Quadriplegic" is built from two pieces: the Latin prefix "quadri-", meaning "four-fold" (related to "quattuor", "four"), and the Greek-derived "-plegic", from "plēssein", "to strike." The Greek root is the older of the two, and it gives us the sense of a blow that stuns or disables. The word follows the older "paraplegic," which comes from Greek "paraplēgē", meaning paralysis of half the body, with "para-" suggesting something alongside or beside. Because "quadriplegic" was modelled on "paraplegic," it was built as a deliberate parallel. Where "paraplegic" describes paralysis of the lower body or of both legs, "quadriplegic" extends the pattern to all four limbs. The "quadri-" prefix supplied the count, and the existing "-plegic" ending supplied the medical meaning.

Synonyms: tetraplegic