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Glite Dictionary
bends

bends

1 9.8
A painful condition divers get when nitrogen forms bubbles in the body after a fast ascent
  • noun
  • /bɛndz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mal de descompresión
  • So simultaneously you are going to freeze, boil, burn, get the bends and no longer be able to breathe.

So simultaneously you are going to freeze, boil, burn, get the bends and no longer be able to breathe.

Examples

  • I remember buying The Bends on cassette

    Blog text (17)

  • he's got The Bends.

    Sanctum (2011)

  • When talking one day, he commented that his favorite album of theirs was The Bends.

    Blog text (27)

  • The stock hooks that come on it are wire hooks, and they don't weigh as much as the Gamakatsu Superline Round Bends.

    Blog text (17)

  • Many divers experience bends if they ascend too quickly from deep water.

  • The doctor explained how the bends can cause severe joint pain in divers.

  • To avoid the bends, it is crucial for divers to follow proper safety protocols during their ascent.

Synonyms

decompression sickness
vsbends
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A condition that happens when body pressure falls quickly and gas bubbles form in the body causing pain

specifies nitrogen bubbles as the cause rather than unspecified gas bubbles
caisson disease
vsbends
  • Archaic
1 8.3

A sickness from a quick drop in air pressure that causes joint pain, dizziness, and tiredness

is caused by rapid pressure changes rather than only pressure reduction

Antonyms

health
∞ 1.0

The condition of a person's body and mind, especially being free from illness or injury

wellness
52 3.2

Good physical and mental health that people try to keep

Surface Forms

bend singular
bends plural

Morphology

bends = bend (opaque) = bend + s

Although formally the plural of 'bend', the medical meaning 'decompression sickness' cannot be predicted from the literal sense of 'bend'.

Etymology

The word bends comes from how people with this illness would bend or double over from severe pain, because their joints and limbs often looked 'bent'. The name uses bend meaning 'to curve or fold', and the condition happens when quick changes in air pressure make bubbles in the body, so people bend in pain — that's why it is called the bends.