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Origin and history of spasm

spasm(n.)

late 14c., "sudden violent muscular contraction," from Old French spasme (13c.) and directly from Latin spasmus "a spasm," from Greek spasmos "a spasm, convulsion; wincing; violent movement," from span "draw (a sword, etc.), pull out, pluck; tear away, drag; suck in; slurp down; contract violently," which according to Beekes is of uncertain origin, perhaps from a PIE *(s)peh- "to draw, set in motion (violently)," hence "to stretch."

The figurative sense of "a sudden convulsion, abnormally energetic action or phase" (of emotion, politics, etc.) is attested by 1817.

spasm(v.)

"twitch convulsively," by 1889, from spasm (n.). Related: Spasmed; spasming.

also from 1889

Entries linking to spasm

spado(n.)

"castrated person," early 15c., from Latin spado, from Greek spadōn "eunuch," which, according to Beekes, is related to spadix "branch torn off, (torn off) twig" and derived from span "pull out, pluck; tear away" (see spasm). Also sometimes Englished as spade (1670s).

spasmatic(adj.)

"pertaining to, of the nature of, or characterized by spasms," c. 1600, from French spasmatique, from Medieval Latin spasmaticus, from Latin spasmus "a spasm" (see spasm). Related: Spasmatical.

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spasmodic
1680s, "of the nature of a spasm; characterized by spasms," from French spasmodique, from Medieval Latin spasmodicus, from Greek spasmōdēs "of the nature of a spasm," from spasmos "a spasm, convulsion; wincing; violent movement" (see spasm) + -odes "like" (see -oid). Figuratively
spastic
1744, in medicine and pathology, "pertaining or relating to spasms; spasmodic," from Latin spasticus, from Greek spastikos "afflicted with spasms," also "pulling in, slurping in;" etymologically "drawing, pulling in, stretching," from span "to draw (a sword, etc.), pull out, pluc
stadium
mid-14c., stadie, "a foot race, a racecourse;" early 15c., "ancient measure of distance," from Latin stadium (plural stadia) "a measure of length" (variously reckoned, commonly one-eighth of a Roman mile or a little over 600 standard English feet; translated in early English Bibl
wingnut
from the secondary sense of nut, influenced perhaps by slang senses of wing in wing-ding "wild party," originally "fit, spasm...
cramp
late 14c., from Old French crampe (13c.), from a Frankish or other Germanic word (compare Old High German krapmhe "cramp, spasm...
clumsy
"benumbed with cold," Norwegian klumsad (past participle) "speechless, palsied by a spasm or by fear or witchery;" German...
symptom
"a departure from normal function or form as an expression or evidence of a disease," late 14c., sinthoma, from Medieval Latin sinthoma "symptom of a disease," altered from Late Latin symptoma, from Greek symptoma "a happening, accident, disease," from stem of sympiptein "to befa
heave
Old English hebban "to lift, raise; lift up, exalt" (class VI strong verb; past tense hof, past participle hafen), from Proto-Germanic *hafjan (source also of Old Norse hefja, Dutch heffen, German heben, Gothic hafjan "to lift, raise"), from PIE *kap-yo-, from root *kap- "to gras
kink
1670s, "knot-like contraction or short twist in a rope, thread, hair, etc., originally a nautical term, from Dutch kink "twist in a rope" (also found in French and Swedish), which is probably related to Old Norse kikna "to bend backwards, sink at the knees" as if under a burden"
constriction
"act of constricting; state of being constricted," c. 1400, constriccioun, from Latin constrictionem (nominative constrictio) "a binding or drawing together," noun of action from past-participle stem of constringere "to bind together, tie tightly, fetter, shackle, chain," from as

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