"convulse" meaning in English

See convulse in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /kənˈvʌls/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-convulse.wav [Southern-England] Forms: convulses [present, singular, third-person], convulsing [participle, present], convulsed [participle, past], convulsed [past]
Rhymes: -ʌls Etymology: From Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere (“to pluck up, dislocate, convulse”), from com- (“together”) + vellere (“to pluck, pull”). Doublet of convel. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|la|convulsus}} Latin convulsus, {{m|la|convello|convellere|to pluck up, dislocate, convulse}} convellere (“to pluck up, dislocate, convulse”), {{m|la|com-||together}} com- (“together”), {{m|la|vello|vellere|to pluck, pull}} vellere (“to pluck, pull”), {{doublet|en|convel}} Doublet of convel Head templates: {{en-verb}} convulse (third-person singular simple present convulses, present participle convulsing, simple past and past participle convulsed)
  1. (intransitive) To suffer violent involuntary contractions of the muscles, causing one's body to contort. Tags: intransitive Translations (to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles): stuiptrekken (Dutch), kejang (Indonesian), hūkeke (Maori)
    Sense id: en-convulse-en-verb-KwjXAu1X Disambiguation of 'to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles': 69 1 30
  2. (intransitive, figurative) To be beset by political or social upheaval. Tags: figuratively, intransitive
    Sense id: en-convulse-en-verb-MOo1bLAC
  3. (transitive) To cause (someone) to suffer such contractions, especially as a result of making them laugh heartily. Tags: transitive Translations (to violently shake): треса се (tresa se) (Bulgarian), получавам конвулсии (polučavam konvulsii) (Bulgarian), 劇烈震動 (Chinese Cantonese), 剧烈震动 (kek⁶ lit⁶ zan³ dung⁶) (Chinese Cantonese), convulser (French), erschüttern (German), 振動させる (shindō-saseru) (alt: しんどう-させる) (Japanese), co-leayst (Manx), convulsionar (Portuguese), convelir (Portuguese), arqhepay (Quechua), convulsionar (Spanish), crispar (Spanish), skaka (Swedish), kikna (Swedish), sarsmak (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-convulse-en-verb-RNdzkiDD Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 30 4 65 Disambiguation of 'to violently shake': 9 0 91
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: convulsant, convulsible, convulsion, convulsive

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for convulse meaning in English (6.3kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "convulsus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin convulsus",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "convello",
        "3": "convellere",
        "4": "to pluck up, dislocate, convulse"
      },
      "expansion": "convellere (“to pluck up, dislocate, convulse”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "com-",
        "3": "",
        "4": "together"
      },
      "expansion": "com- (“together”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "vello",
        "3": "vellere",
        "4": "to pluck, pull"
      },
      "expansion": "vellere (“to pluck, pull”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "convel"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of convel",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere (“to pluck up, dislocate, convulse”), from com- (“together”) + vellere (“to pluck, pull”). Doublet of convel.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "convulses",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "convulsing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "convulsed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "convulsed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "convulse (third-person singular simple present convulses, present participle convulsing, simple past and past participle convulsed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "convulsant"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "convulsible"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "convulsion"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "convulsive"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, Mona Lee, Alien Child, page 278",
          "text": "He realized she was crying. He could feel her body convulsing with little sobs and her cheek was wet where it brushed his.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To suffer violent involuntary contractions of the muscles, causing one's body to contort."
      ],
      "id": "en-convulse-en-verb-KwjXAu1X",
      "links": [
        [
          "violent",
          "violent"
        ],
        [
          "contraction",
          "contraction"
        ],
        [
          "contort",
          "contort"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To suffer violent involuntary contractions of the muscles, causing one's body to contort."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "69 1 30",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
          "word": "stuiptrekken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "69 1 30",
          "code": "id",
          "lang": "Indonesian",
          "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
          "word": "kejang"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "69 1 30",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
          "word": "hūkeke"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1988, Carroll Stuhlmueller, Rebuilding with Hope: A Commentary on the Books of Haggai and Zechariah, page 12",
          "text": "The Persian Empire was convulsing with intrigue, revolt, and civil war.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be beset by political or social upheaval."
      ],
      "id": "en-convulse-en-verb-MOo1bLAC",
      "links": [
        [
          "beset",
          "beset"
        ],
        [
          "upheaval",
          "upheaval"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, figurative) To be beset by political or social upheaval."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "30 4 65",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1882, William Montgomery Clemens, Famous Funny Fellows: Brief Biographical Sketches of American Humorists, pages 28–29",
          "text": "But while he was convulsing all London with laughter, he was fast falling a victim to consumption.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cause (someone) to suffer such contractions, especially as a result of making them laugh heartily."
      ],
      "id": "en-convulse-en-verb-RNdzkiDD",
      "links": [
        [
          "laugh",
          "laugh"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To cause (someone) to suffer such contractions, especially as a result of making them laugh heartily."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "tresa se",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "треса се"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "polučavam konvulsii",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "получавам конвулсии"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "劇烈震動"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "roman": "kek⁶ lit⁶ zan³ dung⁶",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "剧烈震动"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convulser"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "erschüttern"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "alt": "しんどう-させる",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "shindō-saseru",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "振動させる"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "gv",
          "lang": "Manx",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "co-leayst"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convulsionar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convelir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "qu",
          "lang": "Quechua",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "arqhepay"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convulsionar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "crispar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "skaka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "kikna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 0 91",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "sarsmak"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kənˈvʌls/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌls"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-convulse.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/22/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/22/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "convulse"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English doublets",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms borrowed from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌls",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌls/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "convulsus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin convulsus",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "convello",
        "3": "convellere",
        "4": "to pluck up, dislocate, convulse"
      },
      "expansion": "convellere (“to pluck up, dislocate, convulse”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "com-",
        "3": "",
        "4": "together"
      },
      "expansion": "com- (“together”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "vello",
        "3": "vellere",
        "4": "to pluck, pull"
      },
      "expansion": "vellere (“to pluck, pull”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "convel"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of convel",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere (“to pluck up, dislocate, convulse”), from com- (“together”) + vellere (“to pluck, pull”). Doublet of convel.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "convulses",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "convulsing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "convulsed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "convulsed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "convulse (third-person singular simple present convulses, present participle convulsing, simple past and past participle convulsed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "convulsant"
    },
    {
      "word": "convulsible"
    },
    {
      "word": "convulsion"
    },
    {
      "word": "convulsive"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, Mona Lee, Alien Child, page 278",
          "text": "He realized she was crying. He could feel her body convulsing with little sobs and her cheek was wet where it brushed his.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To suffer violent involuntary contractions of the muscles, causing one's body to contort."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "violent",
          "violent"
        ],
        [
          "contraction",
          "contraction"
        ],
        [
          "contort",
          "contort"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To suffer violent involuntary contractions of the muscles, causing one's body to contort."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1988, Carroll Stuhlmueller, Rebuilding with Hope: A Commentary on the Books of Haggai and Zechariah, page 12",
          "text": "The Persian Empire was convulsing with intrigue, revolt, and civil war.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be beset by political or social upheaval."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "beset",
          "beset"
        ],
        [
          "upheaval",
          "upheaval"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, figurative) To be beset by political or social upheaval."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1882, William Montgomery Clemens, Famous Funny Fellows: Brief Biographical Sketches of American Humorists, pages 28–29",
          "text": "But while he was convulsing all London with laughter, he was fast falling a victim to consumption.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cause (someone) to suffer such contractions, especially as a result of making them laugh heartily."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "laugh",
          "laugh"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To cause (someone) to suffer such contractions, especially as a result of making them laugh heartily."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kənˈvʌls/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌls"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-convulse.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/22/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/22/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-convulse.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "tresa se",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "треса се"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "polučavam konvulsii",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "получавам конвулсии"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "劇烈震動"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "roman": "kek⁶ lit⁶ zan³ dung⁶",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "剧烈震动"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "convulser"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "erschüttern"
    },
    {
      "alt": "しんどう-させる",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "shindō-saseru",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "振動させる"
    },
    {
      "code": "gv",
      "lang": "Manx",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "co-leayst"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "convulsionar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "convelir"
    },
    {
      "code": "qu",
      "lang": "Quechua",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "arqhepay"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "convulsionar"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "crispar"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "skaka"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "kikna"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to violently shake",
      "word": "sarsmak"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
      "word": "stuiptrekken"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
      "word": "kejang"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
      "word": "hūkeke"
    }
  ],
  "word": "convulse"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (a644e18 and edd475d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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