Added 9 October 2026
spasm
/ˈspæz.m̩/ noun
Latin root: spasmus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about spasm at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A painful and involuntary muscular contraction.
- (pathology) sudden constriction of a hollow organ (as a blood vessel).
Origin
From Middle English spasme, from Old French spasme, from Latin spasmus, from Ancient Greek σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm, convulsion”), from σπάω (spáō, “to draw out, pull out”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)