こむら(がえ)

こむらがえり
noun
calf cramp; leg cramp
1. calf cramp; leg cramp
A sudden, painful involuntary contraction of the calf muscle. From こむら (calf) + (がえ)り (turning over). Often strikes during sleep, swimming, or exercise, especially when one is tired or dehydrated.
夜中(よなか)にこむら(がえ)りが()きた。
I got a calf cramp in the middle of the night.
運動(うんどう)(ちゅう)にこむら(がえ)りを()こした。
I got a calf cramp during exercise.
水分(すいぶん)()りないと、こむら(がえ)りになりやすいそうだ。
Apparently, when you're short on fluids, you're prone to calf cramps.

An everyday word for a painful calf-muscle cramp. Commonly triggered by fatigue, cold, dehydration, or mineral imbalance, and frequent during sleep or swimming.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • こむら(がえ)りが()きる: a calf cramp occurs
  • こむら(がえ)りを()こす: to get a calf cramp

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 痙攣(けいれん): convulsion, spasm — the broader medical term for involuntary muscle contraction
  • つる: to cramp up (verb) — the colloquial verb, as in (あし)がつる (one's leg cramps)