Pal·sy n.; pl. Palsies   Med. Paralysis, complete or partial. See Paralysis. “One sick of the palsy.”
 Bell's palsy, paralysis of the facial nerve, producing distortion of one side of the face; -- so called from Sir Charles Bell, an English surgeon who described it.
 Scrivener's palsy. See Writer's cramp, under Writer.
 Shaking palsy, Med. paralysis agitans, a disease usually occurring in old people, characterized by muscular tremors and a peculiar shaking and tottering gait; now called parkinsonism, or Parkinson's disease.


 Scrive·ner n.
 1. A professional writer; one whose occupation is to draw contracts or prepare writings.
    The writer better scrivener than clerk.   --Fuller.
 2. One whose business is to place money at interest; a broker. [Obs.]
 3. A writing master. [Prov. Eng.]
 Scrivener's palsy. See Writer's cramp, under Writer.

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 Writ·er n.
 1. One who writes, or has written; a scribe; a clerk.
    They [came] that handle the pen of the writer.   --Judg. v. 14.
    My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.   --Ps. xlv. 1.
 2. One who is engaged in literary composition as a profession; an author; as, a writer of novels.
    This pitch, as ancient writers do report, doth defile.   --Shak.
 3. A clerk of a certain rank in the service of the late East India Company, who, after serving a certain number of years, became a factor.
 Writer of the tallies Eng. Law, an officer of the exchequer of England, who acted as clerk to the auditor of the receipt, and wrote the accounts upon the tallies from the tellers' bills. The use of tallies in the exchequer has been abolished. --Wharton (Law. Dict.)
 Writer's cramp, Writer's palsy or Writer's spasm Med., a painful spasmodic affection of the muscles of the fingers, brought on by excessive use, as in writing, violin playing, telegraphing, etc.  Called also scrivener's palsy.
 Writer to the signet. See under Signet.

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