convulsion
Americannoun
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contortion of the body caused by violent, involuntary muscular contractions of the extremities, trunk, and head.
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violent agitation or disturbance; commotion.
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an outburst of great, uncontrollable laughter.
noun
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a violent involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles
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a violent upheaval, disturbance, or agitation, esp a social one
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informal (usually plural) uncontrollable laughter
I was in convulsions
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of convulsion
First recorded in 1575–85, convulsion is from the Latin word convulsiōn- (stem of convulsiō ). See convulse, -ion
Explanation
If you see someone have a convulsion, it can either be scary or funny, depending on whether it's caused by a medical condition or a really funny joke. A convulsion is a jerking, uncontrolled movement. When a person has a convulsion, it appears as a sudden, violent movement of the body. Convulsions most often happen as a result of a medical condition or illness like epilepsy, but you can also describe a jerky, irregular movement as a convulsion, even if it's caused by hiccups or laughter. A political upheaval or social turmoil can also be called a convulsion, if it's abrupt and violent. The Latin root word is convulsionem, which means "to tear loose."
Vocabulary lists containing convulsion
Anthem
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"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
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That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Convulsion begins: a Bacchic ecstasy of vino nero, roaring scooters, rock 'n' roll.
From Time Magazine Archive
I fear if the Commissaries Department is not soon alterd, a dangerous Convulsion will take place.
From The Writings of Samuel Adams - Volume 3 by Cushing, Harry Alonzo
Convulsion is distinguished from epilepsy, as the patient does not intirely lose all perception during the paroxysm.
From Zoonomia, Vol. II Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Darwin, Erasmus
"Convulsion," was a word that held a terror for Kate above any other in the medical books.
From A Daughter of the Land by Stratton-Porter, Gene
Had he, though blindly contumelious, brought Rheum to kind eyes, a sting to human thought, Convulsion to a mouth of many years?
From Endymion A Poetic Romance by Keats, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
