convulse
/kənˈvʌls/verb
no obj.
1- (of a person) suffer violent involuntary contraction of the muscles, producing contortion of the body or limbs（人）抽搐; 痉挛：
she convulsed, collapsing to the floor with the pain.
她抽搐着, 痛苦地倒在地上。
1.1
- with obj.（一般作 be convulsed）(of an emotion, laughter, or physical stimulus) cause (someone) to make sudden, violent, uncontrollable movements（情绪、笑或物理刺激）使剧烈抖动：
Harry was convulsed by a second bout of sneezing
哈利因第二阵喷嚏颤抖不已
she rocked backwards and forwards, convulsed with helpless mirth.
她前俯后仰, 开怀畅笑。
1.2
- with obj. figurative throw (a country) into violent social or political upheaval〈喻〉使（国家）陷入剧烈的社会（或政治）动荡之中：
a wave of mass strikes convulsed the Ruhr, Berlin, and central Germany.
大规模的罢工浪潮使鲁尔、柏林和德国中部地区动荡不安。
词源
mid 17th cent.: from Latin convuls- 'pulled violently, wrenched', from the verb convellere, from con- 'together' + vellere 'to pull'.