- any of several diseases of the nervous system characterized by jerky, involuntary movements, chiefly of the face and extremities.
- such a disease occurring chiefly in children and associated with rheumatic fever.
- a disease of the central nervous system caused by bacterial or organic degeneration, most common in dogs following canine distemper, characterized by irregular, jerky, involuntary muscular movements.
- a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by uncontrollable irregular brief jerky movements
