Pictures from Google Image Search

See more pictures of [TBD: Hi, I'm litTopicName set my Topic name]

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

knee-jerk

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | © The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

knee-jerk • n. a sudden involuntary reflex kick caused by a blow on the tendon just below the knee. • adj. (of a response) automatic and unthinking: a knee-jerk reaction. ∎ (of a person) responding in this way: knee-jerk radicals.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"knee-jerk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 5 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"knee-jerk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (July 5, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-kneejerk.html

"knee-jerk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved July 05, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-kneejerk.html

Learn more about citation styles

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

	Spasmodic Dysphonia. (Pamphlet) Newspaper article from: Pamphlet by: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; 1/1/2000; 700+ words ; ...dysphonia? [up arrow] In adductor spasmodic dysphonia, sudden involuntary muscle movements or spasms cause the vocal folds (or vocal...muscle spasms more severe. In abductor spasmodic dysphonia, sudden involuntary muscle movements or spasms cause the vocal folds to open... Read more
	Search and Respond.(reader information and resource exchange)(Information about opsoclonus myoclonus)(Jarcho Levin syndrome)(Looking for a bed)(Sweating problem)(Shirt chewing)(Kneecap dislocations)(Daughter is depressed and angry)(Obesity in a 2-year-old)(Letter to the Editor) Magazine article from: The Exceptional Parent; 9/1/2001; 700+ words ; ...My son has a rare disorder called opsoclonus myoclonus. (Myoclonus is a neurological movement disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary contractions of skeletal muscles. Opsoclonus is a condition in which there are nonrhythmic vertical and horizontal movements... Read more
	Froggy days are upon us.(Columns)(Column) Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR); 3/8/2002; 686 words ; ...Spokane) puts throat-clearing in the category of paralanguage. It is a nonverbal vibration of the vocal cords caused by a sudden, involuntary release of air pressure from the lungs, he writes in his Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs and Body Language Cues... Read more
	Back talk: advice for suffering spines. (includes related information) Magazine article from: FDA Consumer; 4/1/1989; ; 700+ words ; ...either of these conditions is lumbosacral strain (or sprain). Sometimes, a sudden twist or fall can bring on muscle spasm--sudden, involuntary contractions that can be excruciatingly painful. A spasm immobilizes the muscles over the injured area, possibly acting... Read more
	Gatekeeping in context: babymama drama and the involvement of incarcerated fathers.(research) Magazine article from: Fathering; 9/22/2005; ; 700+ words ; ...If families offer a fabric of interdependencies that keep men embedded in social relationships (Currie, 1985), then the sudden, involuntary separation of partners, parents, and children can lead to economic, psychological, and interpersonal problems for the... Read more
	Search & Respond. Magazine article from: The Exceptional Parent; 4/1/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...previously healthy 2-year-old son has been diagnosed with myoclonus (a neurological movement disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary contractions of the skeletal muscles). I am wondering if my two sons' problems are related. I am looking for more information... Read more
	Focus on pediatric movement disorders: myoclonus. (ask the doctor). Magazine article from: The Exceptional Parent; 3/1/2002; ; 700+ words ; ...movements of an arm or a leg while falling asleep. * Negative myoclonus, also known as asterixis, is characterized by a sudden involuntary relaxation, rather than contraction, of a muscle. * Action myoclonus is triggered or worsened by attempts at movement... Read more

For more facts and information, see all related premium articles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses

	knee-jerk reflex Book article from: A Dictionary of Biology knee-jerk reflex See stretch reflex . Read more
	patellar reflex Book article from: A Dictionary of Nursing patellar reflex ( knee jerk ) n. reflex contraction of the quadriceps (thigh) muscle, so that the leg kicks, elicited in a patient sitting with one leg crossed... Read more
	KJ Book article from: The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations KJ airline flight code for British medeterranean Airways Med. knee jerk • Knight of St Joachim • British vehicle registration for Maidstone Read more
	reflex action Book article from: World Encyclopedia reflex action Rapid involuntary response to a particular stimulus – for example, the ‘knee-jerk’ reflex that occurs when the bent knee is tapped. It is controlled by the nervous system. Read more
	stretch reflex Book article from: A Dictionary of Biology stretch reflex ( myotatic reflex ) The reflex initiated when a muscle is stretched; an example is the knee-jerk reflex . Stretching of a muscle causes impulses to be generated in the muscle spindles . These impulses are transmitted by sensory... Read more