convulse

Etymology

From Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere (“to pluck up, dislocate, convulse”), from com- (“together”) + vellere (“to pluck, pull”). Doublet of convel.

verb

1. (intransitive) To suffer violent involuntary contractions of the muscles, causing one's body to contort.
   He realized she was crying. He could feel her body convulsing with little sobs and her cheek was wet where it brushed his. 1999, Mona Lee, Alien Child, page 278
2. (intransitive, figurative) To be beset by political or social upheaval.
   The Persian Empire was convulsing with intrigue, revolt, and civil war. 1988, Carroll Stuhlmueller, Rebuilding with Hope: A Commentary on the Books of Haggai and Zechariah, page 12
3. (transitive) To cause (someone) to suffer such contractions, especially as a result of making them laugh heartily.
   But while he was convulsing all London with laughter, he was fast falling a victim to consumption. 1882, William Montgomery Clemens, Famous Funny Fellows: Brief Biographical Sketches of American Humorists, pages 28–29