Word Study
convulsion
CIDE DICTIONARY
convulsion, n. [L. convulsio: cf. F. convulsion.].
- An unnatural, violent, and unvoluntary contraction of the muscular parts of an animal body. [1913 Webster]
- Any violent and irregular motion or agitation; a violent shaking; a tumult; a commotion. [1913 Webster]"Those two massy pillars,
With horrible convulsion, to and fro
He tugged, he shook, till down they came." [1913 Webster]"Times of violence and convulsion."
Syn. -- Agitation; commotion; tumult; disturbance.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
convulsion, n.
1 (usu. in pl.) violent irregular motion of a limb or limbs or the body caused by involuntary contraction of muscles, esp. as a disorder of infants.
2 a violent natural disturbance, esp. an earthquake.
3 violent social or political agitation.
4 (in pl.) uncontrollable laughter.
1 (usu. in pl.) violent irregular motion of a limb or limbs or the body caused by involuntary contraction of muscles, esp. as a disorder of infants.
2 a violent natural disturbance, esp. an earthquake.
3 violent social or political agitation.
4 (in pl.) uncontrollable laughter.
Derivative
convulsionary adj.
Etymology
F convulsion or L convulsio (as CONVULSE)
THESAURUS
convulsion
Homeric laughter, Jacksonian epilepsy, Rolandic epilepsy, abdominal epilepsy, abscess, access, acquired epilepsy, activated epilepsy, affect epilepsy, ague, akinetic epilepsy, amok, anemia, ankylosis, anoxia, apnea, apoplexy, arrest, asphyxiation, asthma, ataxia, atrophy, attack, autonomic epilepsy, backache, belly laugh, blaze, bleeding, blennorhea, blockage, bloodless revolution, boff, boffola, bouleversement, breakdown, breakup, burst, burst of laughter, cachexia, cachexy, cachinnation, cackle, cardiac epilepsy, cat fit, cataclysm, catastrophe, chill, chills, chortle, chuckle, clamor, clean slate, clean sweep, climax, clonic spasm, clonus, colic, computer revolution, conniption, conniption fit, constipation, cortical epilepsy, coughing, counterrevolution, cramp, crow, cursive epilepsy, cyanosis, cyclone, debacle, derangement, diarrhea, diastrophism, disarrangement, disaster, discomposure, dislocation, disorder, disorganization, disturbance, diurnal epilepsy, dizziness, downfall, dropsy, duck fit, dysentery, dyspepsia, dyspnea, eclampsia, edema, emaciation, epilepsia, epilepsia gravior, epilepsia major, epilepsia minor, epilepsia mitior, epilepsia nutans, epilepsia tarda, epilepsy, epitasis, eruption, explosion, fainting, fall, falling sickness, fatigue, ferment, fever, fibrillation, fit, fit of anger, fit of laughter, fit of temper, flare-up, flux, focal epilepsy, frenzy, furor, fury, gale, gales of laughter, giggle, grand mal, grip, growth, guffaw, gust, ha-ha, haute mal, hearty laugh, hee-haw, hee-hee, hemorrhage, high blood pressure, hilarity, ho-ho, horselaugh, hurricane, hydrops, hypertension, hypotension, hysterical epilepsy, icterus, ictus, indigestion, inflammation, insanity, insomnia, irruption, itching, jaundice, labored breathing, larval epilepsy, laryngeal epilepsy, laryngospasm, latent epilepsy, laugh, laughing, laughter, lockjaw, low blood pressure, lumbago, marasmus, matutinal epilepsy, menstrual epilepsy, misarrangement, murderous insanity, musicogenic epilepsy, myoclonous epilepsy, nasal discharge, nausea, necrosis, nocturnal epilepsy, occlusion, orgasm, outbreak, outburst, outburst of laughter, outcry, overthrow, overturn, pain, palace revolution, paralysis, paroxysm, peal of laughter, perturbation, petit mal, physiologic epilepsy, prostration, pruritus, psychic epilepsy, psychokinesia, psychomotor epilepsy, quake, quaking, radical change, rage, rash, reflex epilepsy, revolt, revolution, revolutionary war, revulsion, rheum, risibility, roar of laughter, rocking, rotatoria, sabotage, sclerosis, seizure, sensory epilepsy, serial epilepsy, sexual climax, shaking, shock, shout, shout of laughter, shriek, shuffling, skin eruption, sneezing, snicker, snigger, snort, sore, spasm, stoppage, storm, striking alteration, stroke, subversion, sweeping change, tabes, tabula rasa, tachycardia, tantrum, tardy epilepsy, technological revolution, tee-hee, temblor, temper tantrum, tempest, tetanus, tetany, throes, thromboembolism, thrombosis, tidal wave, titter, tonic epilepsy, tonic spasm, tornado, torsion spasm, total change, tottering, transilience, traumatic epilepsy, trembling, trismus, tsunami, tumor, tumult, ucinate epilepsy, upheaval, upset, upset stomach, upturn, vertigo, violent change, visitation, vomiting, wasting, whirlwind, yuck, yuk-yukROGET THESAURUS
convulsion
Disorder
N disorder, derangement, irregularity, anomaly, anarchy, anarchism, want of method, untidiness, disunion, discord, confusion, confusedness, mishmash, mix, disarray, jumble, huddle, litter, lumber, cahotage, farrago, mess, mash, muddle, muss, hash, hodgepodge, hotch-potch, hotch-pot, imbroglio, chaos, omnium gatherum, medley, mere mixture, fortuitous concourse of atoms, disjecta membra, rudis indigestaque moles, complexity, turmoil, ferment, to-do, trouble, pudder, pother, row, rumble, disturbance, hubbub, convulsion, tumult, uproar, revolution, riot, rumpus, stour, scramble, brawl, fracas, rhubarb, fight, free-for-all, row, ruction, rumpus, embroilment, melee, spill and pelt, rough and tumble, whirlwind, bear garden, Babel, Saturnalia, donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair, confusion worse confounded, most admired disorder, concordia discors, Bedlam, all hell broke loose, bull in a china shop, all the fat in the fire, diable a' quatre, Devil to pay, pretty kettle of fish, pretty piece of work, pretty piece of business, disorderly person, disorderly persons offence, misdemeanor, slattern, slut (libertine), disorderly, orderless, out of order, out of place, out of gear, irregular, desultory, anomalous, acephalous, deranged, aimless, disorganized, straggling, unmethodical, immethodical, unsymmetric, unsystematic, untidy, slovenly, dislocated, out of sorts, promiscuous, indiscriminate, chaotic, anarchical, unarranged &c (arrange), confused, deranged, topsy-turvy, shapeless, disjointed, out of joint, troublous, riotous, complex, irregularly, by fits, by fits and snatches, by fits and starts, pellmell, higgledy-piggledy, helter-skelter, harum-scarum, in a ferment, at sixes and sevens, at cross-purposes, upside down, the cart before the horse, hysteron proteron, chaos is come again, the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.Revolution
N revolution, bouleversement, subversion, break up, destruction, sudden change, radical change, sweeping organic change, change of state, phase change, quantum leap, quantum jump, clean sweep, coup d'etat, counter revolution, jump, leap, plunge, jerk, start, transilience, explosion, spasm, convulsion, throe, revulsion, storm, earthquake, cataclysm, legerdemain, unrecognizable, revolutionary.Violence
N violence, inclemency, vehemence, might, impetuosity, boisterousness, effervescence, ebullition, turbulence, bluster, uproar, callithump, riot, row, rumpus, le diable a quatre, devil to pay, all the fat in the fire, severity, ferocity, rage, fury, exacerbation, exasperation, malignity, fit, paroxysm, orgasm, climax, aphrodisia, force, brute force, outrage, coup de main, strain, shock, shog, spasm, convulsion, throe, hysterics, passion, outbreak, outburst, debacle, burst, bounce, dissilience, discharge, volley, explosion, blow up, blast, detonation, rush, eruption, displosion, torrent, turmoil, ferment, storm, tempest, rough weather, squall, earthquake, volcano, thunderstorm, berserk, berserker, fury, dragon, demon, tiger, beldame, Tisiphone, Megaera, Alecto, madcap, wild beast, fire eater, violent, vehement, warm, acute, sharp, rough, rude, ungentle, bluff, boisterous, wild, brusque, abrupt, waspish, impetuous, rampant, turbulent, disorderly, blustering, raging, troublous, riotous, tumultuary, tumultuous, obstreperous, uproarious, extravagant, unmitigated, ravening, inextinguishable, tameless, frenzied, desperate, infuriate, furious, outrageous, frantic, hysteric, in hysterics, fiery, flaming, scorching, hot, red-hot, ebullient, savage, fierce, ferocious, fierce as a tiger, excited, unquelled, unquenched, unextinguished, unrepressed, unbridled, unruly, headstrong, ungovernable, unappeasable, immitigable, unmitigable, uncontrollable, incontrollable, insuppressible, irrepressible, orgastic, orgasmatic, orgasmic, spasmodic, convulsive, explosive, detonating, volcanic, meteoric, stormy, violently, amain, by storm, by force, by main force, with might and main, tooth and nail, vi et armis, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, at one fell swoop, with a high hand, through thick and thin, in desperation, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, headlong, head foremost, furor arma ministrat, blown with restless violence round about the pende.Agitation
N agitation, stir, tremor, shake, ripple, jog, jolt, jar, jerk, shock, succussion, trepidation, quiver, quaver, dance, jactitation, quassation, shuffling, twitter, flicker, flutter, turbulence, perturbation, commotion, turmoil, disquiet, tumult, tumultuation, hubbub, rout, bustle, fuss, racket, subsultus, staggers, megrims, epilepsy, fits, carphology, chorea, floccillation, the jerks, St. Vitus's dance, tilmus, spasm, throe, throb, palpitation, convulsion, disturbance, chaos, restlessness, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, effervescence, hurly-burly, cahotage, tempest, storm, ground swell, heavy sea, whirlpool, vortex, whirlwind, shaking, agitated tremulous, desultory, subsultory, saltatoric, quasative, shambling, giddy-paced, saltatory, convulsive, unquiet, restless, all of a twitter, by fits and starts, subsultorily, per saltum, hop skip and jump, in convulsions, in fits, tempete dans un verre d'eau.Physical Pain
N physical pain, pain, suffering, sufferance, suffrance, bodily pain, physical pain, bodily suffering, physical suffering, body pain, mental suffering, dolour, ache, aching, smart, shoot, shooting, twinge, twitch, gripe, headache, stomach ache, heartburn, angina, angina pectoris, hurt, cut, sore, soreness, discomfort, malaise, cephalalgia, earache, gout, ischiagra, lumbago, neuralgia, odontalgia, otalgia, podagra, rheumatism, sciatica, tic douloureux, toothache, tormina, torticollis, spasm, cramp, nightmare, ephialtes, crick, stitch, thrill, convulsion, throe, throb, pang, colic, kink, sharp pain, piercing pain, throbbing pain, shooting pain, sting, gnawing pain, burning pain, excruciating pain, anguish, agony, torment, torture, rack, cruciation, crucifixion, martyrdom, toad under a harrow, vivisection, in pain, in a state of pain, pained, gouty, podagric, torminous, painful, aching, sore, raw, Special Sensation (1) Touch.For further exploring for "convulsion" in Webster Dictionary Online