fasciculation
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌfæsɪkjuˈleɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
fasciculación
- The doctor explained that fasciculation can occur when the muscle fibers contract involuntarily.
Examples
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After the long workout, I noticed a fasciculation in my calf muscle that made it twitch.
-
Two units without effect, a few peripheral fasciculations.
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The tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles were evaluated for insertional activity, spontaneous activity, including positive sharp waves, fibrillation, fasciculation, and neurogenic MUAPs.
Academic text (2007) -
He felt a sudden fasciculation in his eyelid, which surprised him during the presentation.
Synonyms
12
4.3
A quick, sudden movement of a muscle you cannot control, often in an eyelid
A small sudden muscle twitch you cannot control
Small muscle twitches that happen without you meaning to, often in the eyelid or face
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
fasciculation = fasciculate (opaque) = fascicul + ation
The noun is formed with the Latinate stem fascicul- and the suffix -ation, but the medical sense of a brief involuntary muscle twitch is not predictable from the component parts.
Etymology
The word fasciculation comes from the Latin fasciculus, which means 'little bundle'. It describes a brief, uncontrolled twitch of a small 'bundle' of muscle fibers under the skin, so the origin helps explain the modern meaning.