tenesmus

[ tuh-nez-muh s, -nes- ]
/ təˈnɛz məs, -ˈnɛs- /

noun Pathology.

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

Origin of tenesmus

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

Words nearby tenesmus

tenectomy, tenedos, tenement, tenerife, tenesmic, tenesmus, tenet, tenfold, teng hsiao-ping, tenge, tengri khan

Example sentences from the Web for tenesmus

British Dictionary definitions for tenesmus

tenesmus
/ (tɪˈnɛzməs, -ˈnɛs-) /

noun

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

Derived forms of tenesmus

tenesmic, adjective

Word Origin for tenesmus

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

Medical definitions for tenesmus

tenesmus
[ tə-nĕz′məs ]

n.

A painful spasm of the anal sphincter accompanied by an urgent desire to evacuate the bowel or bladder and involuntary straining that results in the passing of little or no matter.