spasm


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spasm

 (spăz′əm)
n.
1. A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.
2. A sudden burst of energy, activity, or emotion.

[Middle English spasme, from Old French, from Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmos, from spān, to pull.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spasm

(ˈspæzəm)
n
1. (Pathology) an involuntary muscular contraction, esp one resulting in cramp or convulsion
2. a sudden burst of activity, emotion, etc
[C14: from Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmos a cramp, from span to tear]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spasm

(ˈspæz əm)

n.
1. a sudden, abnormal, involuntary muscular contraction, consisting of a continued muscular contraction or of a series of alternating muscular contractions and relaxations.
2. any sudden, brief spell of great energy, activity, feeling, etc.
[1350–1400; < Latin spasmus < Greek spasmós derivative of spân to draw a sword]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

spasm

A sudden, involuntary contraction of the muscle lasting a short time.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.spasm - a painful and involuntary muscular contractionspasm - a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
symptom - (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease
charley horse, charley-horse - a muscular cramp (especially in the thigh or calf) following vigorous exercise
graphospasm, writer's cramp - muscular spasms of thumb and forefinger while writing with a pen or pencil
blepharospasm - spasm of the eyelid muscle resulting in closure of the eye
crick, kink, rick, wrick - a painful muscle spasm especially in the neck or back (`rick' and `wrick' are British)
myoclonus - a clonic spasm of a muscle or muscle group
twitch, twitching, vellication - a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition
tenesmus - painful spasm of the anal sphincter along with an urgent desire to defecate without the significant production of feces; associated with irritable bowel syndrome
trismus - prolonged spasm of the jaw muscles
2.spasm - (pathology) sudden constriction of a hollow organ (as a blood vessel)
bronchospasm - a spasm of the bronchi that makes exhalation difficult and noisy; associated with asthma and bronchitis
cardiospasm - a spasm of the cardiac sphincter (between the esophagus and the stomach); if the cardiac sphincter does not relax during swallowing the passage of food into the stomach is obstructed
retch, heave - an involuntary spasm of ineffectual vomiting; "a bad case of the heaves"
laryngismus - laryngeal spasm caused by the sudden contraction of laryngeal muscles
constriction - the action or process of compressing
pathology - the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

spasm

noun
1. convulsion, contraction, paroxysm, twitch, throe (rare) A lack of magnesium causes muscles to go into spasm.
2. burst, fit, outburst, seizure, frenzy, eruption, access He felt a spasm of fear.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

spasm

noun
A violent, excruciating seizure of pain:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
křeč
krampespasme
kouristuspuuskaspasmikipukohtauskohtaus
grč
krampi
痙攣
경련
spazma
kramp
การชักกระตุกของกล้ามเนื้อ
kasılmakrampspazm
sự co thắt

spasm

[ˈspæzəm] N
1. (Med) → espasmo m
2. (= fit) → ataque m, acceso m
a spasm of coughingun ataque or acceso de tos
in a spasm of fearen un arrebato de miedo
a sudden spasm of activityun arranque or arrebato de actividad
to work in spasmstrabajar a rachas
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

spasm

[ˈspæzəm] n
(MEDICINE)spasme m
to go into spasm [muscle] → se tétaniser
[anger, pain, fear, coughing, anxiety] → accès m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

spasm

n (Med) → Krampf m, → Spasmus m (spec); (of asthma, coughing, fig) → Anfall m; spasms of coughingkrampfartige Hustenanfälle pl; there was a spasm of activityes entwickelte sich fieberhafte Aktivität; they play well in spasmssie spielen ab und zu ganz gut
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

spasm

[ˈspæzm] n (Med) → spasmo; (of coughing) → attacco, accesso (fig) → accesso
there was a brief spasm of activity → c'è stato un momento di attività spasmodica
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

spasm

(ˈspӕzəm) noun
a sudden uncontrollable jerking of the muscles. A spasm of pain twisted his face for a moment.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

spasm

تَشَنُّج křeč spasme Krampf σπασμός espasmo kouristus spasme grč spasmo 痙攣 경련 kramp krampe skurcz espasmo спазм kramp การชักกระตุกของกล้ามเนื้อ kramp sự co thắt 痉挛
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

spasm

n. espasmo, convulsión, contracción muscular involuntaria.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

spasm

n espasmo
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
One of these, for a moment, tempted me with such singular intensity that, to withstand it, I must have gripped my little girl with a spasm that, wonderfully, she submitted to without a cry or a sign of fright.
Elizabeth supposed that he had had some sort of a spasm.
In the next, that wild figure they saw(As if stung by a spasm) plunge into a chasm, While they waited and listened in awe.
A spasm of resistance and rebellion seized and swept over her.
A spasm of inner pain showed the shadow of its mysterious passage, outwardly on his face.
A faint tinge of color showed itself on her livid cheeks; a momentary spasm of pain stirred her deathlike face.
Again that spasm of something crossed the man's face; but this time, when he spoke, his voice was low and very sad.
I saw only their faces, yet there was something in their faces-- I knew not what--that gave me a queer spasm of disgust.
He made a sudden movement backward, and I, fearful that we were observed, crouched in a spasm of terror.
The morning found him still upon the field of action, but in sad and sorrowful condition; suffering the penalties of past pleasures, and calling to mind the captain's dulcet compound, with many a retch and spasm. It seemed as if the honey and alcohol, which had passed so glibly and smoothly over his tongue, were at war within his stomach; and that he had a swarm of bees within his head.
Overwhelmed by a spasm of drunken adoration, he drew two or three bills from his pocket, and, with the trembling fingers of an offering priest, laid them on the table before the woman.
These jerking movements were in unison with the recurrent spasms that attacked the throat, each spasm severer and more intense than the preceding one.