spasm
spasm Lexical Profile
spasm Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sudden, involuntary, and often painful contraction of a muscle or a group of muscles.
"The physical therapist applied a warm compress to relieve the painful muscle spasm in the athlete's lower back."
A sudden and brief burst of an emotion, sensation, or activity.
"She felt a sudden spasm of guilt after forgetting to attend her colleague's retirement party."
• verb
To contract or twitch suddenly and involuntarily (of a muscle or body part).
"His calf muscle began to spasm near the end of the marathon due to severe dehydration."
• Rhymes for spasm
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'spasme' and Latin 'spasmus', which comes from Ancient Greek 'spasmos' (a convulsion or cramp), derived from the verb 'span' meaning 'to draw, pull, or stretch violently'.