secousse

Secousse is a French noun (feminine) meaning a rapid, brief movement or shock. It derives from the verb secouer, to shake or jar. The term is used in everyday language to describe a sudden bodily jerk or tremor, such as a muscular secousse or a quick shake.

Geology and seismology commonly use secousse to refer to a seismic jolt or aftershock. While the word séisme denotes an earthquake, secousses describe the discrete shocks felt during or after such events. The plural secousses is frequently heard in discussions of earthquakes and monitoring of seismic activity.

Metaphorically, secousse describes abrupt disruptive events in various domains, including finance and politics. A financial secousse, for example, conveys a sudden economic shock or market disturbance, while a political secousse signals a rapid change in the political environment.

Medical usage can describe a sudden involuntary muscle movement, akin to a twitch or spasm. In modern clinical language, more precise terms such as spasm or myoclonus are often preferred, though secousse may appear in older texts, clinical notes, or descriptive passages.

See also: secouer, soubresaut, tremor.