any violent convulsion or struggle: the throes of battle.
b.
the agony of death.
c.
the pains of childbirth.
Origin: 1150–1200;Middle Englishthrowe, alteration of thrawe (-o- from Old Englishthrōwian to suffer, be in pain), Old Englishthrawu; cognate with Old Norsethrā (in līkthrā leprosy)
c.1200, throwe "pain, pang of childbirth, agony of death," possibly from O.E. þrawan "twist, turn, writhe" (see throw), or altered from O.E. þrea (gen. þrawe) "affliction, pang, evil, threat" (related to þrowian "to suffer"), from P.Gmc. *thrawo (cf.
M.H.G. dro "threat," Ger. drohen "to threaten"). Modern spelling first recorded 1615.