Main Entry:

throe

Pronunciation:

\ˈthrō\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English thrawe, throwe, from Old English thrawu, thrēa threat, pang; akin to Old High German drawa threat

Date:

13th century

1: pang, spasm <death throes> <throes of childbirth>2plural : a hard or painful struggle <the throes of revolutionary social change — M. D. Geismar>