In a dead body, when rigor mortis sets in, the joints and muscles become very stiff.
rigor mortis in British English
(ˈrɪɡə ˈmɔːtɪs)
noun
pathology
the stiffness of joints and muscular rigidity of a dead body, caused by depletion of ATP in the tissues. It begins two to four hours after death and lasts up to about four days, after which the muscles and joints relax
Word origin
C19: Latin, literally: rigidity of death
rigor mortis in American English
(ˈrɪgər ˈmɔrtɪs; occas. ˈraɪgɔr)
the progressive stiffening of the muscles that occurs several hours after death as a result of the coagulationof the muscle protein
Word origin
ModL, stiffness of death
Examples of 'rigor mortis' in a sentence
rigor mortis
My whole body tensed: I felt as if I was going into rigor mortis.
Pritchard, John NIGHT SISTERS (2002)
I pushed his hands in his trousers so that if the rigor mortis came out early his arms wouldn't float up.
Robert Wilson INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2002)
The maid cleans up and goes off to read her Bible and I start to get Gildas ready before the rigor mortis sets in.
Robert Wilson INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2002)
She had passed out of rigor mortis and was again limp, disgustingly so.