convulse

Meaningto tear violently

Common meaning: to shake violently

‘with, together’ + ‘to pluck, tear’ → convulse

Journey through time

  1. Latinvellō, -ere, vulsum‘to pluck, tear’
  2. Englishconvulse‘to shake violently’ · today

con- also in: convexconveyconcaveconcealconcede

vuls also in: revulsion

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.
  • US IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.

Origin: Built on Latin vellō ‘to pluck, tear’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry vellō, p. 1965 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

revulsion

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