ballottement
[buh-lot-muh nt]
- a physical diagnostic technique used to detect solid objects surrounded by fluid, as abdominal organs or tumors, performed by suddenly compressing the fluid with the hand, causing the solid object to abut against the hand.
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Origin of ballottement
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
ballottement
- med a technique of feeling for a movable object in the body, esp confirmation of pregnancy by feeling the rebound of the fetus following a quick digital tap on the wall of the uterus
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Word Origin
C19: from French, literally: a tossing, shaking, from ballotter to toss, from ballotte a little ball, from Italian ballotta; see ballot
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ballottement
(bə-lŏt′mənt)- A palpatory technique for detecting or examining an organ not near the surface of the body.
- The use of a finger to push sharply against the uterus and detect the presence or position of a fetus by its return impact.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.