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CONVULSION
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A physical disturbance such as an earthquake or upheaval
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("convulsion" is a kind of...):
trouble (an event causing distress or pain)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A violent disturbance
Example:
the convulsions of the stock market
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("convulsion" is a kind of...):
commotion; disruption; disturbance; flutter; hoo-ha; hoo-hah; hurly burly; kerfuffle; to-do (a disorderly outburst or tumult)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Violent uncontrollable contractions of muscles
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("convulsion" is a kind of...):
ictus; raptus; seizure (a sudden occurrence (or recurrence) of a disease)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "convulsion"):
clonus (convulsion characterized by alternating contractions and relaxations)
epileptic seizure (convulsions accompanied by impaired consciousness)
Derivation:
convulse (make someone convulse with laughter)
convulse (contract involuntarily, as in a spasm)
convulse (cause to contract)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A sudden uncontrollable attack
Example:
convulsions of laughter
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("convulsion" is a kind of...):
attack (a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition)
Context examples:
Signs and symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, convulsions and loss of consciousness.
(Acute Hemorrhagic Leukoencephalitis, NCI Thesaurus)
A drug used to treat insomnia, seizures, and convulsions, and to relieve anxiety and tension before surgery.
(Barbiturate, NCI Dictionary)
Then I rose up on my curtainless bed, trembling and quivering; and then the still, dark night witnessed the convulsion of despair, and heard the burst of passion.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
It was not the result of any convulsion, as in the case of the ascending tunnel.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
I saw the old man throw up his arms, a terrible convulsion passed over his grim face, and he fell back in his chair.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
The symptoms of AES include convulsion, unconsciousness, excessive sweating, and frothing at the mouth.
(Lychee deaths linked to pesticides, not the fruit, SciDev.Net)
Drug treatment to prevent, stop, or reduce the severity of seizures or convulsions, commonly used in cases of epilepsy or other seizure disorders.
(Anticonvulsant Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)
Signs and symptoms include muscle cramps, abdominal pain, dry skin, brittle nails, cataracts, tetany, and convulsions.
(Hypoparathyroidism, NCI Thesaurus)
Phencyclidine, a substance of abuse also know as 'angel dust', can cause physical and psychological distresses, such as coma, seizures, convulsions, respiratory depression, and cardiac problems.
(Phencyclidine, NCI Thesaurus)
It is toxic and suspected of causing anorexia, carcinogenesis, convulsions, and dermal irritation, as well as hepatic and renal damage.
(Piperonyl Butoxide, NCI Thesaurus)
