Paroxysm

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈpæɹ.É™kËŒsɪz.É™m/

Origin

From French paroxysme, from Medieval Latin paroxysmus, from Ancient Greek παροξυσμός (paroksusmos, "irritation, the severe fit of a disease"), from παροξύνειν (paroksunein, "to sharpen, irritate"), from παρά (pará, "") + ὀξύνειν (oksunein, "sharpen"), from ὀξύς (oksus, "sharp").

Full definition of paroxysm

Noun

1. A random or sudden outburst (of activity).
• 1903, Jack London, The Call of the WildUnable to turn his back on the fanged danger and go on, the bull would be driven into paroxysms of rage.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 23, The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.
• 1955, Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita«There, on the soft sand, a few feet away from our elders, we would sprawl all morning, in a petrified paroxysm of desire, and take advantage of every blessed quirk in space and time to touch each other...»
• 1983, John Fowles, MantissaIndeed in his excitement at this breakthrough he inadvertently dug his nails into the nurse's bottom, a gesture she misinterpreted, so that he had to suffer a paroxysm of breasts and loins in response.
2. An explosive event during a volcanic eruption.
3. A sudden recurrence of a disease.

Derived terms

• paroxysmal