spasmodic
/spæzˈmɒdɪk/adjective
1- occurring or done in brief, irregular bursts间歇性的, 一阵阵的：
spasmodic fighting continued.
战斗时断时续地进行着。
1.1
- caused by, subject to, or in the nature of a spasm or spasms痉挛的; 由痉挛引起的：
a spasmodic cough.
痉挛性咳嗽。
派生词
spasmodically
adverb词源
late 17th cent.: from modern Latin spasmodicus, from Greek spasmōdēs, from spasma （see SPASM）.