Spasm
/ˈspæz.əm/noun
A sudden, involuntary muscle contraction or a sudden burst of activity.
Did you know?Spasm comes from Greek spásma, literally a “pulling” or “twitching,” from the verb spân, “to draw, pull,” a root that also lives in words for stretching and spinning motion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*speh₂-
“to draw out, stretch, or pull”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σπᾶν (spân)
“to pull, draw, or tear”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σπασμός (spasmós)
“a convulsion or violent twitching”
Late Latin
Latin
spasmus
“a cramp or convulsion”
Old French
French
spasme
“a convulsion or cramp”
16th Century
English
spasme
“a convulsion or sudden twitching”
Modern English
English
spasm
“a sudden involuntary muscle contraction”