intense or violent pain and struggle, especially accompanying birth, death, or great change (尤指分娩、死亡或巨大变化时的)阵痛;痛苦的挣扎 he convulsed in his death throes. 他在临终痛苦中翻来覆去。
常用词组 in the throes of
in the middle of doing or dealing with something very difficult or painful 处于…困境(或痛苦)中 a friend was in the throes of a divorce. 有个朋友正处于离婚痛苦中。
语源
Middle English throwe (singular); perhaps related to Old English thrēa, thrawu 'calamity', influenced by thrōwian 'suffer'