Distension: meaning, definitions and examples

Similar to 'distension,' it generally refers to medical or scientific scenarios involving swelling or expansion.

• The distension of blood vessels can lead to complications.
• Abdominal distension might indicate underlying health issues.

Commonly used in everyday language as well as medical contexts to describe an area of the body becoming larger, typically due to injury or inflammation. It sometimes carries a slightly negative connotation because of its association with pain or injury.

• After the sprain, there was noticeable swelling in her ankle.
• The doctor examined the swelling on his arm.

Can be used in both medical and non-medical contexts to describe an increase in size. Commons uses include anatomical abnormalities or general growth.

• The patient has an enlargement of the liver.
• The enlargement of the company's headquarters is scheduled for completion next year.

Often used in medical or biological contexts to describe the act of something swelling or expanding beyond its normal size, usually due to internal pressure. This term may carry a negative connotation, indicating abnormal or undesirable expansion.

• The doctor noticed a distension in the patient's abdomen, suggesting possible internal bleeding

More general term, often used in various contexts like business, economics, physics, and more to describe the process of increasing in size, volume, number, or scope.

• The company is planning an international expansion to increase its market reach

Commonly used in medical or scientific contexts to refer to the process of becoming wider or more open, such as blood vessels, pupils, or other tubes and canals in the body.

• During the eye exam, the optometrist used drops to cause dilation of the pupils