Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Relating to, affected by, or having the character of a spasm; convulsive.
- adj. Happening intermittently; fitful: spasmodic rifle fire.
- adj. Given to sudden outbursts of energy or feeling; excitable.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Pertaining to, of the nature of, or characterized by spasm; affected by spasm or spasms; convulsive: as, spasmodic movements; spasmodic asthma; a spasmodic person.
- Attended by or manifesting procedure by fits and starts; jerky; overstrained; high-strung; rhapsodical: as, spasmodic action or efforts; spasmodic utterance or literature.
- n. Same as antispasmodic.
Wiktionary
- adj. Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles.
- adj. Convulsive; consisting of spasms.
- adj. Intermittent or fitful; occurring in abrupt bursts.
- adj. Erratic or unsustained.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. (Med.) Of or pertaining to spasm; consisting in spasm; occuring in, or characterized by, spasms.
- adj. Soon relaxed or exhausted; convulsive; intermittent.
- n. (Med.) A medicine for spasm.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions; resembling a spasm
- adj. occurring in spells and often abruptly
Etymologies
- From New Latin spasmodicus, from Ancient Greek σπασμώδης (spasmōdēs, "spasmodic"), from σπασμός (spasmos, "spasm"). (Wiktionary)
- New Latin spasmōdicus, from Greek spasmōdēs, from spasmos, spasm; see spasm. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Banks of snow cut them off; snowshoes sank in air pockets -- holes made by protruding limbs of the short, gnarled trees of timber line, -- and through these the man fought in short, spasmodic lunges, breaking the way for the woman who came behind, never stopping except to gather strength for a fresh attack, never ceasing for obstacle or for danger.”
“It was grumbled out in short spasmodic sentences between the slow whiffs of his pipe, as he sat by the fire in a little parlour off the hall, with his indefatigable daughter at work at a table near him.”
“Mr. Harding was some minutes quite dumbfounded, and Mr. Arabin could only talk in short, spasmodic sentences about his love and good fortune.”
“You think my gait 'spasmodic' -- I am in danger -- Sir --," she wrote in June as if with a grin.”
“Here's the thing that comes along to complicate any strict feminist criticism of objectification in the images of Prommenschenckel lying prone: She has a condition known as spasmodic torticollis.”
“Robert F, Kennedy suffers from a vocal disorder known as spasmodic dysphonia. 15,5500 people in this country are afflicted with the condition.”
“* Moreover, many of the operating companies on the lower echelon sell and transmit electric energy or gas in interstate commerce to an extent that cannot be described as spasmodic or insignificant.”
“This last quality might be called spasmodic or accidental, whereas the others were permanent and constant.”
“For years Kansas was the scene of what can only be described as spasmodic civil war.”
“Cervical dystonia, also called spasmodic torticollis, is a painful condition in which your neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing your head to twist to one side.”
Lists
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yarb Citation on cant. Jul 25, 2008