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intestinal obstruction

intestinal obstruction

1 5.8
A blockage in the intestine that stops food and waste moving through
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈtɛstɪnəl əbˈstrʌkʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : obstrucción intestinal
  • Surprisingly, he did not restrict his writing to orthopaedics and indeed covered other topics such as intestinal obstruction and cancer of the breast, ovary, and mouth.
  • cause an intestinal obstruction

Examples

  • Intestinal obstruction, impactions, perforation, appendicitis, abdominal pain

    Academic text (2007)
  • The damage ingested gluten causes to the intestines can eventually lead to intestinal obstruction, which is often lethal without emergency surgery.

    Blog text (31)
  • The patient presented with severe pain due to an intestinal obstruction that required immediate medical attention.

  • Doctors confirmed that her weight loss was related to an intestinal obstruction that was blocking nutrient absorption.

  • If left untreated, an intestinal obstruction can lead to serious complications and requires surgical intervention.

Synonyms

obstruction
vsintestinal obstruction
43 4.4

A thing that blocks a passage like a pipe or artery

applies this stopping specifically to the digestive tract rather than any passage
blockage
vsintestinal obstruction
38 4.1

Something that blocks a pipe or blood vessel and stops flow

is the medical instance of this clogging when it happens inside the bowel
ileus
vsintestinal obstruction
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A blockage in the intestine that stops food and waste moving through the gut

is the general medical label for the same stoppage inside the gut

How Blocked

intestinal obstruction
  • Specialized
1 5.8
obstipation
  • Specialized
9.9
impaction
  • NSFW
1 9.5
constipation
18 3.4
regular
23 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

intestinal + obstruction

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from the constituents: 'intestinal' specifies location (in the intestines) and 'obstruction' means a blockage, so together they denote a blockage in the intestine. This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition that follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

The term intestinal obstruction comes from a simple picture: the intestine is like a long tube and an obstruction is something that blocks the tube, so nothing can pass through. That's why it means 'a blockage in the intestine' that 'stops' the normal movement of food and waste.