peristalsis
English
WOTD – 5 October 2010
Etymology
From Ancient Greek περισταλτική (peristaltikḗ) δύναμις (dúnamis, “peristaltic action of the bowels, by which their contents are propelled”), from περιστέλλω (peristéllō, “wrap around”), from περί (perí, “around”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “I place”).
Pronunciation
Noun
peristalsis (countable and uncountable, plural peristalses)
- (medicine) The rhythmic, wave-like contraction and relaxation of muscles so as to propagate motion, as of food in the digestive tract.
Synonyms
- enterocinesia
- vermiculation (dated)
Derived terms
Translations
rhythmic contraction of the digestive tract
|
|
Spanish
Related terms
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.