lightening

[ lahyt-n-ing ]
/ ˈlaɪt n ɪŋ /

noun Medicine/Medical.

the descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity, occurring toward the end of pregnancy, changing the contour of the abdomen and facilitating breathing by lessening pressure under the diaphragm.

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Origin of lightening

First recorded in 1520–30; lighten2 + -ing1

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lightening

lightening , lightning
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for lightening

British Dictionary definitions for lightening

lightening
/ (ˈlaɪtənɪŋ) /

noun

obstetrics the sensation, experienced by many women late in pregnancy when the head of the fetus enters the pelvis, of a reduction in pressure on the diaphragm, making it easier to breathe
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

Medical definitions for lightening

lightening
[ lītn-ĭng ]

n.

The sensation of decreased abdominal distention during the latter weeks of pregnancy following the descent of the fetal head into the pelvic inlet.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.