Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Braxton Hicks contractions

British  
/ ˈbrækstən ˈhɪks /

plural noun

  1. painless intermittent contractions of the womb that occur in pregnancy, becoming stronger towards full term

"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

Etymology

Origin of Braxton Hicks contractions

C19: named after J. Braxton Hicks (1823–97), British obstetrician

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some women may feel the result of the decreasing levels of progesterone in late pregnancy as weak and irregular peristaltic Braxton Hicks contractions, also called false labor.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

There is no graphic sex; in its place are / elaborate descriptions of childbirth, from Lamaze breathing to Braxton Hicks contractions, from ostentatiously difficult labor and major pushing to the parents' initial moments of joy.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.