tumescence

Meaning

Noun

• A swelling due to the presence of fluid.
• A swollen bodily organ; used especially of erectile tissue.

Related

Similar words

• tumidity
• turgescence
• turgidity
• turgor

Origin

• First attested 1725, from French tumescence, from Latin tumescēns, present participle of tumēscō, from tumeō + -ēscō (English -esce, in this form ), stem from Proto-Indo-European *tum-éh₁-, stative stem of *tum-.