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A severe paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, due to spasm, obstruction, or distention of some one of the hollow viscera. Hepatic colic, the severe pain produced by the passage of a gallstone from the liver or gall bladder through the bile duct. -- Intestinal colic, or Ordinary colic, pain due to distention of the intestin…

iolently and irregulary, as the muscular parts of an animal body; to shake with irregular spasms, as in excessive laughter, or in agony from grief or pain. With emotions which checked his voice and convulsed his powerful frame. Macaulay.

Producing, or attended with, convulsions or spasms; characterized by convulsions; convulsionary. An irregular, convulsive movement may be necessary to throw off an irregular, convulsive disease. Burke.

A spasmodic and painful involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles, as of the leg. The cramp, divers nights, gripeth him in his legs. Sir T. More. Cramp bone, the patella of a sheep; -- formerly used as a charm for the cramp. Halliwell. "He could turn cramp bones into chess men." Dickens. -- Cramp ring, a ring for…

A painful, spasmodic affection of the muscles of some part of the body, as of the neck or back, rendering it difficult to move the part. To those also that, with a crick or cramp, have thei necks drawn backward. Holland.

A very slight convulsive or spasmodic contraction of certain muscles, external or internal. Few men can look down from a great height without creepings and crispations. O. W. Holmes.

dividing life from death. -- Death stroke, a stroke causing death. -- Death throe, the spasm of death. -- Death token, the signal of approaching death. -- Death warrant. (a) (Law) An order from the proper authority for the execution of a criminal. (b) That which puts an end to expectation, hope, or joy. -- Death…

alled ducks and drakes. Internal earthquakes, that, not content with one throe, run along spasmodically, like boys playing at what is called drakestone. De Quincey.

A drawing of the body forward, in consequence of the spasmodic action of some of the muscles. Gross.

Tonic spasm; -- applied generically to denote any disease characterized by tonic spasms, as tetanus, trismus, etc.

Relating to any disease characterized by tonic spasms.

fleshy mass, is produced instead of a properly organized fetus. -- False croup (Med.), a spasmodic affection of the larynx attended with the symptoms of membranous croup, but unassociated with the deposit of a fibrinous membrane. -- False door or window (Arch.), the representation of a door or window, inserted to com…

he priming in the pan of a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.

iolence; to struggle, as a horse in mire; to flounder; to throw one's self with a jerk or spasm, often as in displeasure. To flutter and flounce will do nothing but batter and bruise us. Barrow. With his broad fins and forky tail he laves The rising sirge, and flounces in the waves. Addison.

The violent spasms of a dying whale.

A stroke with a rod or switch; a severe spasm; a twinge; a pang. Conscience . . . is freed from many fearful girds and twinges which the atheist feels. Tillotson.

To pinch; to distress. Specifically, to cause pinching and spasmodic pain to the bowels of, as by the effects of certain purgative or indigestible substances. How inly sorrow gripes his soul. Shak.

A modified respiratory movement; a spasmodic inspiration, consisting of a sudden contraction of the diaphragm, accompanied with closure of the glottis, so that further entrance of air is prevented, while the impulse of the column of air entering and striking upon the closed glottis produces a sound, or hiccough. [Writt…

Abnormally increased muscular movement; spasm.

A spasmodic state of the glottis, giving rise to contraction or closure of the opening.