throes

noun

1. a violent spasm or pang; paroxysm.
2. a sharp attack of emotion.
3. throes,
   1. any violent convulsion or struggle: the throes of battle.
   2. the agony of death.
   3. the pains of childbirth.

pl n

1. a condition of violent pangs, pain, or convulsionsdeath throes
2. in the throes of struggling with great effort witha country in the throes of revolution

noun

1. rare a pang or pain

n.c.1200, throwe “pain, pang of childbirth, agony of death,” possibly from Old English þrawan “twist, turn, writhe” (see throw), or altered from Old English þrea (genitive þrawe) “affliction, pang, evil, threat” (related to þrowian “to suffer”), from Proto-Germanic *thrawo (cf. Middle High German dro “threat,” German drohen “to threaten”). Modern spelling first recorded 1610s. Related: Throes. see in the throes.