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tenesmus

Pronunciation: /tɪˈnɛzməs/

Definition of tenesmus

noun

[mass noun] Medicine
  • a continual or recurrent inclination to evacuate the bowels, caused by disorder of the rectum or other illness.

Origin:

early 16th century: via medieval Latin from Greek teinesmos 'straining', from teinein 'stretch, strain'

tenesmus in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tenesmus in the US English dictionary

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