Wiktionary:Word of the day/2024/October 2

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Word of the day
for October 2
paroxysm n
  1. (countable, medicine) A period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; a sudden attack of a disease symptom, such as a bout of coughing or a seizure.
  2. (by extension)
    1. (countable) Chiefly followed by of: a sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling; also, the most severe part of an activity or incident; the climax.
    2. (countable, archaic) An outburst of a violent argument or disagreement.
    3. (countable, chiefly geology) A violent occurrence of a natural phenomenon, such as an earthquake, thunderstorm, or volcanic eruption; specifically (volcanology), the most explosive event during a series of volcanic eruptions.
    4. (uncountable, rare) Disastrous or sudden change.
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