"convulse" meaning in English

See convulse in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /kənˈvʌls/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-convulse.wav 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, {{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), convulsionar (english: se) (Spanish)
    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, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 4 entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Cantonese translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Indonesian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Manx translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Quechua translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 40 5 54 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 28 12 60 Disambiguation of Pages with 4 entries: 6 2 15 25 25 24 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 25 10 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Cantonese translations: 26 10 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 25 14 61 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 25 13 62 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 25 10 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Indonesian translations: 26 10 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 24 10 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Manx translations: 26 10 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 26 10 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 26 9 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Quechua translations: 24 10 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 26 11 63 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 26 10 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 26 10 65 Disambiguation of 'to violently shake': 12 0 88
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: unconvulsed Related terms: convulsant, convulsible, convulsion, convulsive

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "unconvulsed"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "convulsus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin convulsus",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "69 1 30",
          "code": "es",
          "english": "se",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
          "word": "convulsionar"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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": "40 5 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 12 60",
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        {
          "_dis": "6 2 15 25 25 24 3",
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          "_dis": "25 14 61",
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          "_dis": "25 13 62",
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          "_dis": "25 10 65",
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          "_dis": "26 10 64",
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          "_dis": "24 10 66",
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          "_dis": "26 10 64",
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        {
          "_dis": "26 9 65",
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          "_dis": "26 10 65",
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        {
          "_dis": "26 10 65",
          "kind": "other",
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        }
      ],
      "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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": "12 0 88",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "tresa se",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "треса се"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "polučavam konvulsii",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "получавам конвулсии"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "劇烈震動"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "roman": "kek⁶ lit⁶ zan³ dung⁶",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "剧烈震动"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convulser"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "erschüttern"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "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": "12 0 88",
          "code": "gv",
          "lang": "Manx",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "co-leayst"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convulsionar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convelir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "qu",
          "lang": "Quechua",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "arqhepay"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "convulsionar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "crispar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "skaka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "kikna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 0 88",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to violently shake",
          "word": "sarsmak"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kənˈvʌls/"
    },
    {
      "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",
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    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌls"
    }
  ],
  "word": "convulse"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English doublets",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms borrowed from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌls",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌls/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Cantonese translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Indonesian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Manx translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Quechua translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "unconvulsed"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "convulsus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin convulsus",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "convel"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of convel",
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  ],
  "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"
      ]
    }
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    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "convulse (third-person singular simple present convulses, present participle convulsing, simple past and past participle convulsed)",
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  ],
  "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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/"
    },
    {
      "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",
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      "rhymes": "-ʌls"
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  "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"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "english": "se",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to suffer violent uncontrollable contractions of the muscles",
      "word": "convulsionar"
    }
  ],
  "word": "convulse"
}

Download raw JSONL data for convulse meaning in English (6.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). 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.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.