intumescence

[ in-too-mes-uhns, -tyoo- ]

noun

1. a swelling up, as with congestion.
2. the state of being swollen.
3. a swollen mass.

Other Words From

• intu·mescent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of intumescence¹

From French, dating back to 1650–60; intumesce, -ence

Example Sentences

Here, an intumescence which was to become a mountain, there, an abyss which was to be filled with an ocean or a sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Puff′iness, state of being puffy or turgid: intumescence; Puff′ing, the act of praising extravagantly.

From Project Gutenberg

Diameter of its mouth one-fifth as long as the whole shell and two-thirds as long as the diameter of the equatorial intumescence.

From Project Gutenberg

Notice whether the substance fuses with the bead, and if so, whether there is intumescence or not.

From Project Gutenberg

In the reduction flame, upon charcoal, it is reduced to the metal with intumescence.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• lump
• nodule
• wart