Noun: petit mal ,pe-tee'mal or 'pe-tee,mal
- Epilepsy characterized by paroxysmal attacks of brief clouding of consciousness (and possibly other abnormalities)
"she has been suffering from petit mal since childhood";
- petit mal epilepsy, epilepsia minor
- A seizure of short duration characterized by momentary unconsciousness and local muscle spasms or twitching
"the girl was frightened by her first petit mal";
- epilepsia minor
Derived forms: petit mals
Type of: epilepsy, epileptic seizure
Encyclopedia: Petit mal