Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
- He would lie motionless beneath a lily pad and then explode in a convulsion of movement if something tasty came by.
- But a political convulsion has now upended this picture.
- In the center of my college dining hall, a young man who worked in the kitchen had collapsed in a convulsion.
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convulsion
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convulsion con·vul·sion (kən-vŭl'shən)
n.
An intense, paroxysmal, involuntary muscular contraction.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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convulsion definition
A severe, often violent involuntary contraction of the muscles. Convulsions may be caused by high fevers or poisoning and often accompany such diseases such as epilepsy.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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convulsion
condition characterized by violent, uncontrolled spasmodic contractions and relaxations of the voluntary muscles. Convulsions may be a symptom resulting from various conditions and diseases, such as epilepsy, uremia, eclampsia, rabies, tetanus, strychnine poisoning, and cerebral tumour. They are usually accompanied by loss of consciousness. During a convulsion the individual's clothing should be loosened around the neck, the head should be cushioned with a pillow, and any sharp or hard objects should be removed from the area. An object should never be inserted into the person's mouth during a convulsion. Medical treatment should be sought immediately after the convulsion ceases.
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