detumescence

American  

[dee-too-mes-uhns, -tyoo-] / ˌdi tuˈmɛs əns, -tju- /

noun

1. reduction or subsidence of swelling.

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detumescence British  

/ ˌdiːtjʊˈmɛsəns /

noun

1. the subsidence of a swelling, esp the return of a swollen organ, such as the penis, to the flaccid state

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Other Word Forms

• detumescent
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of detumescence

1670–80; < Latin dētumēsc ( ere ) to cease swelling ( dē- de- + tumēscere to swell) + -ence; see tumescent

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

detumescence

But although in most individuals the processes of detumescence make their appearance in consciousness only in a secondary manner, it does not follow that in the actual course of development they are also secondary.

From The Sexual Life of the Child by Eden Paul

The activity of the glandular secretions, and especially those of the skin, during detumescence, would lead us to expect that such secretory activity is an index to an aptitude for detumescence.

From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 Erotic Symbolism; The Mechanism of Detumescence; The Psychic State in Pregnancy by Havelock Ellis

This reflex is always present in healthy adult subjects and indicates the integrity of the physical mechanism of detumescence.

From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 Erotic Symbolism; The Mechanism of Detumescence; The Psychic State in Pregnancy by Havelock Ellis

Such a phenomenon indicates that the relationship of detumescence to the deepening of the voice is not quite simple.

From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 Erotic Symbolism; The Mechanism of Detumescence; The Psychic State in Pregnancy by Havelock Ellis

The dilatation of the pupils produces photophobia, and in the course of detumescence the eyes are frequently closed from this cause.

From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 Erotic Symbolism; The Mechanism of Detumescence; The Psychic State in Pregnancy by Havelock Ellis

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