spasm
/ˈspaz(ə)m
/noun
1A sudden involuntary muscular contraction or convulsive movement: shifting heavy loads without help brought on muscular back spasms...
- Her body convulsed into spasms and the twitching got worse as the situation got worse.
- It seemed he was having violent spasms and convulsing.
- When I released her, her body convulsed with spasms of pain.
Synonyms
convulsion, contraction, throes, cramp;
twitch, jerk, tic, start, shudder, shiver, tremor, tremble
1.1A sudden and brief spell of an activity or sensation: a spasm of coughing woke him...
- Most intriguing on these two brief noise spasms is lead singer Beverly's grating howl.
- The Pritzkers can only hope that all their current troubles will be fleeting, a brief spasm rather than the beginning of a decline in their fortunes.
- Swanson's hit-and-miss lyrics, combined with the spasms and outbursts of the moog keyboard, completed the bands' sound.
Synonyms
fit, paroxysm, attack, burst, bout, seizure, outburst, outbreak, explosion, access
informal splurt
rare ebullition, boutade
1.2 [mass noun] Prolonged involuntary muscle contraction: the airways in the lungs go into spasm...
- Heat is often used after the first 24 to 48 hours to reduce pain, relieve muscle spasm, and improve local blood flow.
- As he twisted around to glance at the television news, his back went into spasm.
- The disease is characterized by a gradual increase in skeletal muscle rigidity and muscle spasm.
verb [no object]
Experience sudden involuntary muscular contractions; twitch convulsively: my body spasmed violently...
- Pain shot through his body and his legs spasmed uncontrollably.
- My diaphragm and lungs spasmed so severely that I woke up screaming because the pain was unbelievably excruciating!
- Things slowly got worse, despite treatment, until my back began to spasm.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French spasme, or via Latin from Greek spasmos, spasma, from span 'pull'.