spasm (spazm)

[Early mod. E. spas me; When this is persistent, it is called tonic spasm; when it consists of alternating contractions and relaxations, it is called clonic spasm. A spasm of one side of the body is called hemispasm; a spasm of some particular part, as one arm, or one side of the face, is called a mono spasm. 2. In general, any sudden transitory movement of a convulsive character, voluntary or involuntary; an abnormally energetic action or phase of feeling; a wrenching strain or effort: composition, obtained by Brieger in 1887 from cultures of bacillus tetani. spasm us (spas'mus), n. Spasm. - Spasmus nutans. Same as salaam convul- sion (which see, under salaam ). pulling, stretching, σπᾶν , draw, pull: see spasm.] 1. In med ., pertaining or relating to spasm; spasmodic: as, spastic contractions; spastic remedies.-2. In zoöl ., convulsive, as an infusorian; of or pertaining to the Spastic a . -Spastic albuminuria, albuminuria dependent upon a convulsive attack. - Spastic anemia, local anemia or ischemia from spastic contraction of the arteries of the part. Spastic hemiplegia, mobile spasm following hemiplegia. See spasm . - Spastic infantile pa- ralysis. See paralysis . - Spastic paralysis, paralysis with muscular rigidity and increase of reflexes. - Spastic spinal paralysis, spastic pseudo paralysis, spastic Spastic a (spas'ti-kä), n. pl. [NL., κός , drawing, pulling, stretching: see spastic .] In Perty's system of cla ification, a division of ciliate infusorians, containing those which con- tract and change form with a jerk. There were 4 families- Urceolarina , Ophrydina , Vorticellina, and Vag in if era . spat an gite (spa-tan'jīt), n. [ -ite2 .] A fo il spatangoid. See Dysasteridæ , and cut under Ananchytes . spatangoid (spa-tang'goid), a. and n. [ Spa- tang us + -oid.] I. a. Resembling a heart- urchin; related to Spatangus ; of or pertaining to the Spatangidæ in a broad sense. IMG:content-1646.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1647.png:[blocks in formation] a speck, spot, Sw. spott , spittle, etc. (see spot ), from the root of spit2 (cf. spat1 ): see spit2 .] The spawn of shell-fish; specifically, the spawn of the oyster; also, a young oyster, or young oysters collectively, up to about the time of their becoming set, or fixed to some support. See spawn , n ., 2. IMG:content-1648.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1649.png:[ocr errors] Oyster spat may be reared from artificially fertilized eggs. The American , VII. 75. spat2 (spat), v .; pret. and pp. spatted , ppr. spat- pores, intra petalous semita genital ting . [ spat2 , n.] I. in trans. To spawn, as an oyster; shed spat. spasmodic (spaz-mod'ik), a . and n. [ F.spas- modique Sp. espasmódico = Pg. espasmodico = It. spasmodico , * spasmodic us , Gr. σπασ- μώδης, σπασματώδης, convulsive, spasmodic, είδος , form.] I. a . 1. Pertaining to, of the nature of, or charac- terized by spasm; affected by spasm or spasms; convulsive: as, spasmodic movements; spasmod- ic asthma; a spasmodic person.-2. Attended II. trans. To shed or emit (spawn), as an by or manifesting procedure by fits and starts; oyster. jerky; overstrained; high-strung; rhapsodical: spat3 (spat), n. [In the sense 'blow' (def. 1), as, spasmodic action or efforts; spasmodic utter- cf. spot ; in part prob. imitative, like pat . ] 1. IMG:content-1650.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1651.png:[blocks in formation] spat3 (spat), v .; pret. and pp. spatted , ppr. spat- ting. [ spat dough; to spat one's hands together. The little Isabel leaped up and down, spatting her hands. S. Judd, Margaret. II, in trans. To engage in a trivial quarrel or dispute; have a petty contest. [U. S.] spat4 (spat). A preterit of spit2 . spat5 (spat), n. [Also spatt ; usually or only in pl. spats , spatts ; abbr. of spatterdashes .] A gaiter or legging. [Scotland and North of Eng- IMG:content-1652.png:[blocks in formation] Spatangida (spa-tan'ji-da), n . pl . [NL., Spa- tang us + -ida .] The spatangoid sea-urchins, as distinguished from Clypeastrida . See Spa- tangoida . Spatangidæ (spa-tan'ji-dē), n. pl. [NL., Spatangus + -idæ .] A family of irregular sea- urchins, typified by the genus Spatangus ; the heart-urchins. The mouth is eccentric, transverse, or reniform, and without dentary apparatus; there are pet a- loid ambulacra, of which the anterior one is unpaired; semitæ or fascioles are always present; and the figure is oval or cordate. This is the leading family of the order, divided mainly by the characters of the ambulacra and semitæ into several subfamilies (some of which rank as IMG:content-1653.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1654.png:[blocks in formation] spathal (spa'thal), a . [ spathe + -al.] In bot ., inclosed in or furnished with a spathe: as, spathal flowers. spathe (spārн), п. [ spatha , σπάθη , α broad flat blade, a broadsword, a broad rib, the shoulder-blade, the stem of a leaf, the spathe of a flower, a spatula. Hence ult. ( spade2 , spatula , spatule , spattle2 , spaddle, spittles, etc.] 1. In bot . , a peculiar often large and colored bract, or pair of bracts, which subtend or envelop a spadix, as in palms and arums. The name is also given to the pe- culiar several-leafed involucre of iris and allied plants. See spadix , 1, and cuts under Araceæ , Indian turnip (un- der Indian), Monstera , Peltandra , and Symplocarpus . 2. In zool ., some spatulate or spoon-shaped part. spa the bill (spārí'bil), n. The spoon-billed sandpiper, Eurynorhynchus pygmæus. G. Cuvier (trans.). See cut under Eurynorhynchus . spathed (spārна), а . [ spathe + -ed2.] In bot ., surrounded or furnished with a spathe; spatha- flies. Schiner , 1868. Also Spat i gaster (Schiner, 1862), Spa thio gaster (Loew, 1843), Spaz i gaster and Spazogaster (Rondani, 1843). spa the gastric (spath-ē-gas'trik), a . [ Spathe- gaster + -ic .] Pertaining to Spa the gaster (sense 1): as, a spa the gastric form. Spathelia (spa-theʻli-ä), n. [NL. (Linnæus, 1752), perhaps so called from its resemblance to a palm-tree; σπάθη , a blade, spathe, pet- iole of a palm-tree: see spathe .] A genus of nature of spar; occurring in broad plates or lamellæ, foliated in texture. Spathose iron, spathic iron. spathous (spa'th (spa'thus), a. [ bot ., same as spa spathose1 . spathulate (spath'ū-lat) 'ū-lāt), a . Same as spatulate . Spathulea (spa-thūlē-ä), n . Same as Spatula , 3. Spathura (sp (spa-thura), n . [NL. (Gould, 1850), σπάθη , a blade, + οὐρά , a tail.] A remark- able genus of Trochi lidæ , containing humming- birds with the lateral tail-feathers long-exsert- Racket-tailed Humming-bird ( Spathura underwood i). IMG:content-1655.jpg:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1656.jpg:[graphic] contemplate objects as made up of spatial parts, and ap prehend their spatial relations by the same act by which we apprehend the objects themselves. IMG:content-1657.jpg:[blocks in formation] spatiality (spa-shi-al'i-ti), n. [Also spaciality ; spatial + -ity .] Spatial character; extension. So far, all we have established or sought to establish is the existence of the vague form or quale of spatiality as tive peculiarities of each and every one of our sensations. W. James, Mind, XII. 10. to or as regards space. Also written spacially . Usually we have more trouble to discriminate the qual- J. Ward, Encyc. Brit., XX. 52. of spatiari (> G. spazieren ), walk about, proceed, spatium , room, space: see space . Cf. expatiate .] To rove; ramble; expatiate. Confined to a narrow chamber, he could spatiate at large IMG:content-1658.jpg:[blocks in formation] spatt, n. See spat5 . spatter (spat'er), v. [Freq. of spat1 , or, with variation, of spot : see spat , spot. ] I. trans. 1. To scatter or throw about carele ly, as some fluid or semi-fluid substance; dash or splash so as to fall in spreading drops or small quan- tities: as, to spatter water or mud over a per- son; to spatter oaths or calumnies. Where famish'd dogs, late guardians of my door, Shall lick their mangled master's spatter'd gore. IMG:content-1659.png:[blocks in formation] Here's fellow made for a soldier: there's a leg for a Sheridan (?), The Camp, i. 2. spatter-dock (spat'er-dok), n. The yellow pond-lily, Nymphæa ( Nuphar ) advena ; also ex- spattle2 (spat'l), n. [Formerly also spatule ; spatule , espatule , F. spatule = Sp. espátula = Pg. spatula = It. spatola , spatula , spathula , a blade, spatula: see spatula . Doublet of spat- ula , spittles .] 1. A flat blade for stirring, mixing, or molding plastic powdered or liquid substances; a spatula.-2. Specifically, in pot- tery , a tool for mottling a molded article with coloring matter. spattling-machine (spat'ling-ma-shēn"), n. A machine, consisting of a reservoir with sieves through which the liquid is caused to fall to divide it into spray, for sprinkling a colored glaze to form party-colored ware. spatula (spat ū-la), n . long and narrow, straight, and made of more or le flex- ible steel. Fresco-painters use a trowel-shaped or spoon- shaped spatula for spreading wax or mortar upon the sur- face which is to receive the painting. 2. [ cap .] [NL. (Boie, 1822).] A genus of Ana- tinæ , having ng the bill much longer than the head or tarsus, twice as wide at the end as at the base, there broadly rounded and spoon- shaped, with narrow prominent nail and numerous protrusive lamellæ; the shoveler- ducks or souchets. The tail is short and pointed, of fourteen feathers. S. clype at a is the common shoveler (see cut under shoveler), S. rhynchotis is Australian, S. platalea is South American, S. capensis is South African, and S. variegata inhabits New Zealand. Also Rhynchaspis , Clype at a, and Spathulea . - Spatula mallei, in an at . , the flattened extremity of the handle of the malleus attached to the umbo of the membrana tympani. See cut under tympanic . spatulamancy (spat'ū-la-man-si), n. [Prop. * spatulomancy , spatula , a blade, + μαντεία, divination.] A method of divination by a sheep's shoulder-blade. IMG:content-1660.png:[blocks in formation] Skull of Spatular i a , with the long beak removed, the anterior ( asc ) and posterior ( psc ) semicircular canals exposed; Au , auditory chamber; Or , orbit of eye; N , nasal sac; Hy , hyoidean apparatus; Br , representatives of branchiostegal rays; Op, operculum; Mn , mandible; A B , suspensorium; D , pal a to quadrate cartilage; E , maxilla. a genus of ganoid fishes: same as Polyodon, 1. See also cut under paddle - fish.