ballottement

[buh-lot-muh nt]

noun Medicine/Medical.

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.

Origin of ballottement

1830–40; < French: a tossing, equivalent to ballotte(r) to move, stir (see ballotade) + -ment -ment

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for ballottement

ballottement

noun

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

Word Origin for ballottement

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 in Medicine

ballottement

[bə-lŏt′mənt]

n.

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.