paroxysm

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This paroxysm is the direct opposite of hypnotism, and it is singular that it has not been tried in Europe as well as clairvoyance.

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A sudden outburst of emotion or action: a paroxysm of laughter.
  2. noun A sudden attack, recurrence, or intensification of a disease.
  3. noun A spasm or fit; a convulsion.

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

spasm ·  twinge ·  throes ·  outburst ·  frenzy ·  tremor ·  undercurrent ·  spurt ·  brimful ·  surge ·  exclamation ·  gust
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

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  1. 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; see ak- in Indo-European roots).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from French paroxysme = Spanish Portuguese paroxismo = Italian parossismo, parosismo, from Middle Latin paroxysmus, from Greek παροξυσμός, irritation, the severe fit of a disease, from παροξύνειν, sharpen, irritate, from παρά, beside, + ὀξύνειν, sharpen, from ὀξύς sharp.
 

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/ˈpærəksɪzm/
by American Heritage

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