Crossword clues for distention
distention
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Distention \Dis*ten"tion\, n. [L. distentio: cf. F. distension.]
The act of distending; the act of stretching in breadth or in all directions; the state of being Distended; as, the distention of the lungs.
Breadth; extent or space occupied by the thing distended.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
also distension, early 15c., from Middle French distension and directly from Latin distensionem (nominative distensio, distentio), noun of action from past participle stem of distendere (see distend).
Wiktionary
n. The act of distending.
WordNet
n. the state of being stretched beyond normal dimensions [syn: dilatation, distension]
the act of expanding by pressure from within [syn: distension]
Usage examples of "distention".
Quoted by Ashhurst, Hunter recorded a case of gunshot wound, in which, after penetrating the stomach, bowels, and diaphragm the ball lodged in the thoracic cavity, causing no difficulty in breathing until shortly before death, and even then the dyspnea was mechanical--from gaseous distention of the intestines.
The unnatural distention of the stomach with food causes it to press upon the neighboring organs, interfering with the proper performance of their functions, and, if frequently repeated, gives rise to serious disease.