distention
2
7.9
- noun
- /dɪˈstɛnʃən/
- Specialized
:
distensión
- The doctor explained that distention is often caused by excessive fluid or gas accumulation in the abdominal cavities.
- abdominal distention
Examples
-
Before discharge, his parents were counseled regarding the signs of GI obstruction, including abdominal pain, distention, and vomiting.
Academic text (2007) -
This woman has immediate postprandial upper abdominal distention.
-
Patterson, knowing that the chart showed a thorough bowel cleansing, concluded that the distention was due to air.
Academic text (1994) -
Chest X-ray detected some cardiac enlargement and distention of the pulmonary vessels.
Academic text (2003) -
It is important to observe for bladder distention and assess for patient sensation of bladder fullness.
Academic text (2005) -
A 34-year-old female presented with altered bowel habits, abdominal bloating, excessive "intestinal noise," visible abdominal distention, and occasional nausea.
Academic text (2007) -
The patient's abdominal distention made it clear that there was a buildup of gas in the digestive tract.
-
After eating a large meal, she experienced uncomfortable distention in her stomach.
Synonyms
2
3.6
Sticking out in a rounded shape because something inside pushes
1
8.9
A swelling or stretching of a part of the body, often the belly, caused by gas
1
8.7
A widening of a body part, for example the pupil in the eye or the cervix during labour
Antonyms
How Swollen
Surface Forms
Morphology
distention = distend (semi-transparent) = dis + tent + ion
The base 'distend' is clear, but the specific medical or technical meaning of 'distention' may not be immediately apparent to all learners.
Etymology
The word distention comes from the parts dis- meaning 'apart' and tendere meaning 'to stretch', and you can see the same idea in tension and extend. So distention describes something that is stretched out or swollen from inside, which is why doctors use it for an area that is larger than normal.