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Glite Dictionary
fecal impaction

fecal impaction

7.9
A mass of hard stool stuck in the lower bowel that cannot be passed
  • noun
  • /ˈfiːkəl ɪmˈpækʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : impactación fecal
  • The patient was diagnosed with fecal impaction after experiencing severe abdominal pain.

Examples

  • After several days without a bowel movement, he realized he was suffering from fecal impaction.

  • Doctors recommend a high-fiber diet to prevent fecal impaction in older adults.

  • She had correctly asked herself, "Is this new problem, fecal impaction, related to current treatment?"

    Academic text (2005)

Synonyms

impaction
vsfecal impaction
  • NSFW
1 9.5

A hard mass of stool stuck in the lower bowel and blocking it

is a more specific case where hardened stool blocks the rectum and cannot be passed

Antonyms

regular
23 1.0

Having bowel movements at usual times and not being constipated

How Severe

fecal impaction
  • Specialized
7.9
obstipation
  • Specialized
9.9
constipation
18 3.4

Surface Forms

fecal impaction singular
fecal impactations plural

Morphology

fecal + impaction

The noun is directly compositional: 'fecal' means relating to feces and 'impaction' denotes a blockage or being impacted. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer this refers to a blockage caused by feces (a medical obstruction), so despite being clinical vocabulary the meaning is derivable from the parts. Similar compound logic exists in many languages, supporting immediate understandability.

Etymology

The medical term fecal impaction gives a simple image: fecal means stool and impaction means packed tightly and stuck. So it describes a large, hard piece of stool that becomes 'stuck' in the lower bowel and cannot be 'passed'.