paroxysm
American Heritage Dictionary:
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par·ox·ysm
(păr'ək-sĭz'əm) 
n.
paroxysmally par'ox·ys'mal·ly adv.
n.
- A sudden outburst of emotion or action: a paroxysm of laughter.
- A sudden attack, recurrence, or intensification of a disease.
- A spasm or fit; a convulsion.
[Middle English paroxism, periodic attack of a disease, from Medieval Latin paroxysmus, from Greek paroxusmos, from paroxūnein, to stimulate, irritate : para-, intensive pref.; see para-1 + oxūnein, to goad, sharpen (from oxus, sharp).]
paroxysmal par'ox·ys'mal (-ək-sĭz'məl) adj.paroxysmally par'ox·ys'mal·ly adv.
Roget's Thesaurus:
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paroxysm
noun
- A condition of anguished struggle and disorder: convulsion, throe (used in plural). See calm/agitation.
- A violent, excruciating seizure of pain: cramp1, shoot, spasm, throe. See pain/pleasure.
Word Tutor:
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paroxysm
IN BRIEF: A sudden outburst of any kind of feeling or activity. Also: a sudden flare-up of illness.
I am not sure that there was a great decrease in the actual physical suffering; I do know that the period of the paroxysm was reduced, since resistance seemed merely to prolong it.
— Ray Stannard Baker (1870-1946) pseudonym: David Grayson U.S. author, biographer, from Under My Elm by David Grayson.
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Saunders Veterinary Dictionary:
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paroxysm
1. a sudden recurrence or intensification of clinical signs.
2. a spasm or seizure.
Mosby's Dental Dictionary:
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paroxysm
(per′ək-siz-əm)
n
n
1. an abrupt increase or repeated occurrence of symptoms. n 2. a sudden violent attack, contraction of muscles, or convulsion.
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'paroxysm'
- Signs and Symptoms - paroxysm: sudden, violent spasm or convulsion; abrupt worsening of symptom
- Agitation, Abnormality, and Instability - paroxysm: sudden emotional outburst
- Violent Events - paroxysm: convulsive and uncontrollable seizure; fit of violent action or emotion
See crossword solutions for the clue Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Paroxysmal attack
"Paroxysms" redirects here. For the waltz by Johann Strauss, see Paroxysmen.
Not to be confused with proximal.
| Paroxysmal attack | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | G40-G47 |
Paroxysmal attacks are short, frequent and stereotyped symptoms that can be observed in various clinical conditions. They are usually associated with multiple sclerosis, pertussis, but they may also be observed in other disorders such as encephalitis, head trauma, stroke, asthma, trigeminal neuralgia, breath-holding spells, epilepsy, malaria, tabes dorsalis, and Behçet's disease. It has also been noted as a symptom of Gratification disorder in children.
Paroxysmal attacks in various disorders have been reported extensively and ephaptic coupling of myelin nerve has been presumed as one of the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon. This is supported by the presence of these attacks in multiple sclerosis and tabes dorsalis, which both involve demyelination of spinal cord neurons. Exercise, tactile stimuli, hot water, anxiety and neck flexion may provoke paroxysmal attacks. Mostly reported paroxysmal attacks are painful tonic spasms, dysarthria and ataxia, numbness and hemiparesis. They are typically different from other transient symptoms by their brevity (lasting no more than 2 minutes), frequency (from 1-2 times/day up to a few hundred times/day), stereotyped fashion and excellent response to drugs (usually carbamazepine). Withdrawal of symptoms without any residual neurological finding is another key feature in their recognition.
The word paroxysm means "sudden attack, outburst",[1] and comes from the Greek παροξυσμός (paroxusmos), "irritation, exasperation".[2]
See also
- Convulsion
- Relapse or remission, where symptoms become worse or better
References
- ^ paroxysm, on Oxford Dictionaries
- ^ παροξυσμός, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
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Paroxysm
Dansk (Danish)
n. - heftigt anfald
Nederlands (Dutch)
paroxisme, hevige aanval/uitbarsting
Français (French)
n. - (Méd) paroxysme, crise
Deutsch (German)
n. - Krampf, Anfall
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - παροξυσμός
Português (Portuguese)
n. - paroxismo (m), ataque (m)
Español (Spanish)
n. - paroxismo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - häftigt anfall
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
发作, 突发
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 發作, 突發
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 발작, (감정의) 격발
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) نوبه, اشتداد مفاجئ في أعراض المرض
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - התקף פתאומי, עווית
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Roget's Thesaurus
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Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.
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Mosby's Dental Dictionary
Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
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