tumescence
/tjuːˈmɛsəns/ noun
Forms tumescences
- noun A swelling due to the presence of fluid.
- noun A swollen bodily organ; used especially of erectile tissue.
Synonyms
tumidity turgescence turgidity turgor bloatedness bloating distension ectasia ectasis intumescence inturgescence nodosity swelling swollenness
Etymology
First attested 1725, from French tumescence, from Latin tumescēns (“swelling”), present participle of tumēscō (“to begin to swell”), from tumeō (“to swell”) + -ēscō (incohative suffix) (English -esce, in this form -escence), stem from Proto-Indo-European *tum-éh₁- (“to be swelling”), stative stem of *tum- (“to swell”).
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “tumescence”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details