apoplexy
Other forms: apoplexies
Apoplexy is a sudden and often fatal fit resulting from blood vessels bursting in the brain. The 19th century character Madame Bovary became a widow because of it. Today, we generally call it "a stroke," but apoplexy sounds way better.
Although apoplexy as a specific medical term is not such a common term now, the word apoplectic certainly is, meaning furious and red-faced with uncontrollable rage (so called because its symptoms of flushed red face and loss of bodily control mimic those of apoplexy). Often used humorously — apoplectic is how you might describe your parents when they see your grades — though there's nothing funny about a real apoplectic fit.
-
a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brainsynonyms: CVA, cerebrovascular accident, stroketypes:ischaemic stroke, ischemic strokethe most common kind of stroke; caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain (as from a clot blocking a blood vessel)type of:attacka sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition
-
a state of extreme anger
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing apoplexy
Jack and Algernon — two bachelors in 19th-century England — use false identities to get what they want — and get into trouble — in this comedy by Oscar Wilde.
In this tale of pirates and plunder, Jim Hawkins sets out for Skeleton Island to find buried treasure.
In 1776, Isabel is enslaved by British loyalists. When she begins to work as a spy for American revolutionaries, she discovers that neither side is interested in her freedom—and decides to do something about it.