break rigor

break rigor (third-person singular simple present breaks rigor, present participle breaking rigor, simple past broke rigor, past participle broken rigor)

1. (mortuary technology) To manipulate a corpse in which rigor mortis has set in, (by massage, flexing joints, or brute force) in order to change the position of the body.
   • 1992, Catherine Lewis, Judith Guerin, Not in Single Spies, page 85:

     They must have pushed pretty hard to break rigor in the shoulder.

   • 1997, William Heffernan, Winter's Gold, page 90:

     There are postmortem bruises on the legs and arms that show where pressure was applied to break rigor.

   • 2017, Carla Valentine, Past Mortems: Life and death behind mortuary doors:

     I've heard the loud crack of this myself, although I've never been strong enough actually to break rigor, and I've never had reason to.

   • 2018, Dr Richard Shepherd, Unnatural Causes:

     I needed him to lie flat for the post-mortem and so I had to break rigor.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see break,‎ rigor.
   • 1977, Parabola - Volume 2, page 90:

     Compassionate mercy breaks rigor; but mercy is so good that sometimes it takes away initiative, and doesn't allow anyone to do anything.