constipation

[kon-stuh-pey-shuhn]

noun

1. a condition of the bowels in which the feces are dry and hardened and evacuation is difficult and infrequent.

2. Informal.,  a state of slowing down, sluggishness, or inactivity.

3. Obsolete.,  the act of crowding anything into a smaller compass; condensation.

constipation

/ ˌkɒnstɪˈpeɪʃən /

noun

1. infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels, with hard faeces, caused by functional or organic disorders or improper diet

Word History and Origins

Origin of constipation¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English constipacioun, from Middle French, from Late Latin constīpātiōn-, stem of constīpātiō; equivalent to constipate + -ion

Example Sentences

Ivan now has a care package so his constipation can be managed at home with laxatives and daily bowel wash outs.

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General physical side effects of kratom can include nausea, constipation, dizziness and dry mouth.

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What could have been reduced to jokes about Millennial solipsism instead asks him to reckon with his emotional constipation.

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A woman whose bowel had to be removed due to chronic and severe constipation says we should all be more open to talking about basic bodily functions.

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When Colleen Henderson’s three-year-old daughter complained of pain while using the bathroom, doctors brushed it off as a urinary tract infection or constipation, common maladies in the potty-training years.

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Related Words

• ache 
• contraction 
• convulsion 
• pain 
• stiffness 
• twinge