engorgement

[ en-gawrj-muhnt ]

noun

congestion of the vessels or ducts of a part of the body with blood, milk, or other bodily fluid: Midwives may use acupressure techniques to reduce breast engorgement after delivery.
the act of feeding on something greedily or excessively: In cows and other ruminants, engorgement on grain can lead to hyperacidity and impaired microbial digestion.

the condition of being flooded, overfilled, or oversupplied: The reef just below Station 54 is the probable cause of the engorgement of the river during its high phase.Speculators took advantage of deregulation and the parasitic engorgement of the financial world.

Origin of engorgement

First recorded in 1605–15; engorge + -ment

Magendie found that when given to dogs it produced engorgement, and often inflammation of the lungs.
The Action of Medicines in the System | Frederick William Headland
This condition led to engorgement of the lungs and liver and increased pressure in the venous side of the circulation.
Bloodletting Instruments in the National Museum of History and Technology | Audrey Davis
There was engorgement of blood vessels in the meninges covering the brain.
Warren Commission (2 of 26): Hearings Vol. II (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
The changes observed are those of intense engorgement of the marrow, going on to greenish-yellow purulent infiltration.
Manual of Surgery | Alexis Thomson and Alexander Miles
The engorgement of the obstructed territory has received the name of hemorrhagic infarction.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I | Various

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