spasm
noun/ˈspæzəm/
/ˈspæzəm/
- [countable, uncountable] a sudden and often painful contracting of a muscle, which you cannot control
- Cholera reduces heartbeat and causes muscle spasms.
- The injection sent his leg into spasm.
Extra ExamplesTopics Health problemsc2- He suffered a back spasm while playing football.
- She could not speak; her throat was in spasm.
- The muscle goes into spasm, producing the symptom of cramp.
- involuntary spasms of the nervous system
- His face went into a spasm of nervous twitches.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- sudden
- involuntary
- uncontrollable
- …
- experience
- feel
- suffer
- …
- pass
- stop
- in spasm
- spasm of
- a spasm of pain
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- [countable] spasm (of something) a sudden strong feeling or reaction that lasts for a short time
- a spasm of anxiety/anger/coughing/pain, etc.
Extra Examples- His voice broke and a spasm of pain contorted his face.
- He kicked the chair in a spasm of impatience.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- sudden
- involuntary
- uncontrollable
- …
- experience
- feel
- suffer
- …
- pass
- stop
- in spasm
- spasm of
- a spasm of pain
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French spasme, or via Latin from Greek spasmos, spasma, from span ‘pull’.
Check pronunciation:
spasm