frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

convulsion, paroxysm, spell, outburst, burst, eruption: After
that, every time he said 'furniture', the crowd went into spasms
of laughter.
spasmodic adj. 1 spasmodical, paroxysmal, convulsive, jerky, jerking,
sudden, Technical spastic: John was quite uneasy, unaware that
Cynthia's spasmodic winking was due to a tic. 2 fitful,
irregular, intermittent, arrhythmic, random, interrupted,
sporadic, erratic, occasional, periodic, unsustained,
discontinuous, pulsating, cyclic(al), broken: Spasmodic peals
of thunder shook the house.
spate n. flood, inundation, onrush, onset, rush, deluge, outpouring,
outflow, outflowing, flow: What did I say to provoke that spate
of foul language?
spatter v. splash, splatter, speckle, bespatter, spray, dabble, daub,
bedaub, sprinkle, besprinkle, Brit splodge, US splotch: When
she dropped the pan the grease spattered all over my new white
flannels.
spawn v. give birth to, yield, bear, bring forth, breed, beget,
create, father, sire, produce, generate, engender, give rise to,
bring about, cause: Donald's arrogance over his wealth spawned
a great deal of resentment.
speak v. 1 talk, converse, discourse: We were not allowed to speak
during lessons. 2 talk to, converse or discourse with, address,
say (something or) anything to: She was speaking quietly to the
children. That is no way to speak to your elders. 3 talk,
communicate in, discourse or converse in, communicate in, utter
in, articulate in, use: Can you really speak Chinese? 4
express, utter, say, state, tell, pronounce, enunciate, voice;
articulate, make known, communicate, reveal, indicate: He is
speaking the truth. 5 symbolize, betoken, signify, communicate,
convey, indicate: Her refusal to return your love-letters
speaks volumes. 6 so to speak. as it were, in a manner of
speaking, figuratively or metaphorically (speaking): When it
comes to employee benefits, the boss is Scrooge himself, so to
speak. 7 speak for. a support, uphold, defend, stand up for,
plead for, make a plea for, recommend, Colloq stick up for: Be
quiet and let Simon speak for himself. b act on or in behalf
of, act for, represent, act as agent for: He is speaking for