impingement

[im-pinj-muhnt]

noun

1. the act or fact of encroaching or infringing.

   This is an impingement on the fundamental right of free speech.

2. the act or fact of striking or touching something, or the effect produced by this.

   The impingement on the diamond’s hard crystal surface is due to oxygen in the air.

3. Medicine/Medical.,  the act or fact of interfering with something, especially a nerve, through contact or pressure.

   Impingement on the nerves can be relieved by removing the portion of the bone compressing the neural structures.

Word History and Origins

Origin of impingement¹

impinge ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

“It’s for people with shoulder impingement or spinal compression issues. It takes all the compression off your spine and allows you to perform a squat under resistance.”

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It had been four months since his debut season took a dismal turn, landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement following an opening month marred by poor performance and diminished stuff.

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How could a newcomer who practically vanished when he went down with a shoulder impingement five months earlier become the team’s most dominant reliever?

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Sasaki went to the sideline in early May with a right shoulder impingement and wasn’t reactivated until the final week of the season — as a reliever.

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At the start of the season, Sasaki made eight underwhelming starts — with wild command and declining fastball velocity contributing to a 4.72 ERA — before being sidelined by a shoulder impingement.

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