What it means
The ending of words for loss of movement. hemiplegiahem-ee-PLEE-jee-uhParalysis of one side of the body.hemi- half-plegia paralysisFull entry is paralysis of one side of the body, paraplegia of both legs (and often the lower body), and quadriplegia (also called tetraplegia) of all four limbs. The related ending -paresis means weakness rather than full paralysis.
Related terms
spinal cord
The long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.
paralysis
Loss of the ability to move a part of the body, and sometimes loss of feeling in it.
hemiplegia
Paralysis of one side of the body.