throe
[ throh ]
/ θroʊ /
noun
a violent spasm or pang; paroxysm.
a sharp attack of emotion.
throes,
- any violent convulsion or struggle: the throes of battle.
- the agony of death.
- the pains of childbirth.
Nearby words
throatlatch, throatwash, throaty, throb, throckmorton, throe, throes, thrombase, thrombasthenia, thrombectomy, thrombin
Origin of throe
1150–1200; Middle English throwe, alteration of thrawe (-o- from Old English thrōwian to suffer, be in pain), Old English thrawu; cognate with Old Norse thrā (in līkthrā leprosy)
Can be confused
throe throwDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for throe
British Dictionary definitions for throe
throe
/ (θrəʊ) /
noun
rare a pang or pain
Word Origin for throe
Old English thrāwu threat; related to Old High German drawa threat, Old Norse thrā desire, thrauka to endure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with throe
throe
see in the throes.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.