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spasm Definition

spasm (spazəm)

noun

  1. a sudden, convulsive, involuntary muscular contraction: a tonic spasm is persistent and sustained, and a clonic spasm is one of a series of relatively brief contractions alternating with relaxations
  2. any sudden, violent, temporary activity, feeling, etc.

Etymology: ME spasme < MFr < L spasmus < Gr spasmos < span, to draw, pull, wrench: see span

intransitive verb

to undergo a spasm

spasm Synonyms

spasm

n.

convulsion, seizure, contraction; see fit 1.

spasm Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • artery: Less common causes include spasms of the coronary arteries or disease of the smaller branches of these arteries.
  • muscle: For instance, spasm of muscles may give rise to writer's or musician's cramp.
  • pain: And then: It was like a short spasm of pain.

Converse of object

  • relieve: It works quickly at relieving spasms, often quicker than conventional pain relief.
  • relax: It makes breathing easier by relaxing muscle spasms in the air passages of the lungs.
  • reduce: Paul, how do you reduce the spasm in your son's legs?
  • treat: Baclofen is used by intrathecal pump to treat the painful spasms of cerebral palsy.
  • prevent: A larger dose is sometimes given at night to prevent spasms that interfere with sleep.
  • suffer: As a result of this brain damage, Mrs A suffered severe muscle spasms and her teeth were permanently clenched.

Preposition: in

  • muscle: Assessment There was spasm in the suspensory muscles of the larynx.

Adjective modifier

  • infantile: Early treatment of infantile spasm might preserve cognitive functioning in some children.
  • hemifacial: For unknown reasons hemifacial spasm tends to affect the left side of the face more often than the right.
  • involuntary: These involuntary spasms of the vocal cords cause the voice to change in quality.
  • muscular: In addition to increased muscle tone, there are episodic muscular spasms.
  • laryngeal: The reason is that under halothane alone laryngeal spasm often occurs.
  • uncontrollable: Between bites I was overcome by uncontrollable spasms of laughter.

Noun used with modifier

  • muscle: Muscle spasm in the thoracic region can cause referred pain to radiate into the chest or abdomen.
  • bladder: An impacted sigmoid colon or rectum can give rise to bladder spasms which obstruct free drainage of urine.
  • tonic: Tonic spasms may develop at 3 - 4 months.
  • vessel: Patients who develop the condition almost always suffer from Raynaud's phenomenon ( blood vessel spasm triggered by cold weather ) first.
spasm Quotes

If you carry this resolution, you will send a Foreign Secretaryöwhoever he may beönaked into the conference chamber.You call that statesmanship. I call it an emotional spasm.

—Bevan, Aneurin

Browse dictionary entries near spasm

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