lightening

[lahyt-n-ing]

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. the descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity, occurring toward the end of pregnancy, changing the contour of the abdomen and facilitating breathing by lessening pressure under the diaphragm.

lightening

/ ˈlaɪtənɪŋ /

noun

1. obstetrics the sensation, experienced by many women late in pregnancy when the head of the fetus enters the pelvis, of a reduction in pressure on the diaphragm, making it easier to breathe

Word History and Origins

Origin of lightening¹

First recorded in 1520–30; lighten ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The "silliness" of the formulation was "lightening the subject matter of this trial," he told Judge Cannon.

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Girls and women with darker skin tones are called derogatory names and face discrimination; and skin lightening products make for big business, earning billions of dollars in profits.

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The cause of the blaze remains unknown, though lightening has been ruled out.

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Firefighters faced difficult conditions Sunday as dry thunderstorms brought increased wind and threatened lightening strikes that could ignite new fires, according to the briefing.

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"Information like that is a bolt of lightening to us," he tells me.

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Related Words

• alleviation 
• assistance 
• comfort 
• happiness 
• help 
• maintenance 
• reprieve 
• respite 
• satisfaction 
• support