convulsion

Etymology

From Latin convulsiō, from convellō.

noun

1. (medicine) An intense, paroxysmal, involuntary muscular contraction.
2. An uncontrolled fit, as of laughter; a paroxysm.
3. Violent turmoil.
   Earthquakes and convulsions of nature shake Earth on a regular basis.
   In a convulsion that has caught many in Brazil and beyond by surprise, waves of protesters denounced their leaders for dedicating so many resources to cultivating Brazil’s global image by building stadiums for international events, when basic services like education and health care remain woefully inadequate. June 18 2013, Simon Romero, “Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-06-21