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| con·vulse [ kən vúlss ] (past and past participle con·vulsed, present participle con·vuls·ing, 3rd person present singular con·vuls·es) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb shake uncontrollably: to jerk or shake violently and uncontrollably, or make a muscle or body part go into a repetitive spasm
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2. transitive verb cause to shake: to make somebody shake with laughter or a strong emotion
(
often passive
)
  convulsed with panic
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3. transitive verb disrupt something: to cause extreme disruption or disturbance in something
Problems in the Asian economies convulsed the New York markets.
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| [Mid-17th century. < Latin convuls-, past participle of convellere "pull violently" < vellere "pull"] |
