Sign or Symptom
spasm Audio
spasm [ spaz-uhm ]
Subclass of:
Neuromuscular Manifestations
Etymology:
Greek spasmos = contraction, or a drawing tight
Definitions related to spasm:
  • A sudden contraction of a muscle or group of muscles, such as a cramp.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A sudden, violent, involuntary contraction of a muscle or a group of muscles, attended by pain and interference with function, producing involuntary movement and distortion.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • An involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles. Spasms may involve SKELETAL MUSCLE or SMOOTH MUSCLE.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • An involuntary muscle contraction.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • (muscle spasm) Sudden and involuntary contractions of one or more muscles.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.