spasm -
n. 1 a sudden involuntary muscular
contraction.
2 a sudden convulsive movement or emotion etc. (a
spasm of coughing).
3 (usu. foll. by of) colloq. a brief spell of an activity.
[ME f. OF spasme or L spasmus f. Gk spasmos, spasma f. spao pull] 
