tabes dorsalis /ˈteɪbiːz dɔːˈseɪlɪs/ noun2 •tabes of the back; a degeneration of the sensory neurons of the spinal cord carrying afferent information. •neurosyphilis in the form of such degeneration.Malcolm X: the death of terminal fibrillation, as elegant as the trembling of hands in tabes dorsalis [...]. — 1970 formstabes dorsales