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Glite Dictionary
💨 To blow in air 🙏 To blow ritually
to insufflate

to insufflate

9.9
To blow air, gas, or powder into a part of the body for medical use
  • verb
  • /ˈɪnsəˌfleɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : insuflar
  • If a patient swallows when the nasal passages are blocked (Toynbee maneuver), air cannot pass anteriorly, and it is insufflated into the middle ear.

Examples

  • Before performing the surgery, the anesthesiologist insufflated oxygen into the patient's airway to ensure proper ventilation.

  • The doctor will insufflate the gas into the patient's lungs during the procedure to improve airflow.

  • In the experiment, the technician insufflated nitrogen into the reaction chamber to create the desired conditions.

Synonyms

to inflate
vsto insufflate
44 2.9

To fill something with air so it becomes larger and round

introduces air or powders into cavities for medical or scientific use without enlarging
to aerate
vsto insufflate
5 4.5

To put air into something, for example soil or liquid

is done specifically to introduce air, gas, vapor, or powder into body cavities
to pneumatize
vsto insufflate
  • Specialized
9.9

To fill a bone or body part with air to make it lighter

is a medical procedure introducing air, gas, vapor, or powder into cavities

How Much

to inflate
44 2.9
to insufflate
  • Specialized
9.9
to blow
711 1.0
puff
24 1.5

Surface Forms

insufflate infinitive
insufflated past
insufflated past participle
insufflating present participle
insufflates third person singular

Morphology

insufflate = sufflate (semi-transparent) = in + sufflate

Formed by the regular prefix in- ('into') + the verb 'sufflate', but 'sufflate' is rare and the medical sense is specialized so a B1 learner would not reliably infer meaning.

Etymology

Insufflate comes from Latin parts in- meaning 'into' and sufflare meaning 'to blow'. So, to insufflate is to 'blow into' something, which fits the medical use of putting air or gas into a body cavity, tube, or the lungs.