spasm means A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, spasm ranks #435 of 42,762 for Qualifying.
spasm is pronounced /ˈspæz.m̩/.
Etymology
From Middle English spasme, from Old French spasme, from Latin spasmus, from Ancient Greek σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm, convulsion”), from σπάω (spáō, “to draw out, pull out”).
noun
- A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.e.g.“Jessica went into spasms after eating a peanut.”
- A violent, excruciating seizure of pain.
- A sudden and temporary burst of energy, activity, or emotion.
verb
- To produce and undergo a spasm or series of spasms.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).