apoplexy

American  

[ap-uh-plek-see] / ˈæp əˌplɛk si /

noun

1. stroke.

2. a sudden, usually marked loss of bodily function due to rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel.

3. a hemorrhage into an organ cavity or tissue.

4. a state of extreme anger.

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apoplexy British  

/ ˈæpəˌplɛksɪ /

noun

1. sudden loss of consciousness, often followed by paralysis, caused by rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel in the brain

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Etymology

Origin of apoplexy

1350–1400; Middle English apoplexie < Late Latin < Greek, equivalent to apóplēkt ( os ) ( apoplectic ) + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

It’s hard to pin down the moment in “Oh, Mary!,” a comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln, that will send Lincoln scholars and purists into apoplexy.

From New York Times

It tended to be Thorgerson, by all accounts a stubborn genius, driving the record executives to apoplexy.

From New York Times

“You’re going to pop an artery and give yourself an apoplexy!”

From Literature

Tudyk deftly dispenses both deadpan stares and comic apoplexy, and through the first half of its initial season, the show was consistently clever and astringently funny.

From New York Times

The home team's insipid performance - not a single shot on target in the 90 minutes - drove their fans into an advanced state of apoplexy.

From BBC