tenesmus

[ tuh-nez-muhs, -nes- ]

nounPathology.
  1. a straining to urinate or defecate, without the ability to do so.

Origin of tenesmus

1
1520–30; <Medieval Latin, variant of Latin tēnesmos<Greek teinesmós, equivalent to teín(ein) to stretch + -esmos noun suffix

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British Dictionary definitions for tenesmus

tenesmus

/ (tɪˈnɛzməs, -ˈnɛs-) /


noun
  1. pathol an ineffective painful straining to empty the bowels in response to the sensation of a desire to defecate, without producing a significant quantity of faeces

Origin of tenesmus

1
C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin tēnesmos, from Greek teinesmos, from teinein to strain

Derived forms of tenesmus

  • tenesmic, adjective

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