SWELLING

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does swelling mean? 

• SWELLING (noun)
  The noun SWELLING has 3 senses:

1. an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement

2. something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings

3. the increase in volume of certain substances when they are heated (often accompanied by release of water)

  Familiarity information: SWELLING used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SWELLING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

lump; puffiness; swelling

Hypernyms ("swelling" is a kind of...):

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

enlargement (the state of being enlarged)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "swelling"):

tumidity; tumidness (slight swelling of an organ or part)

oscheocele; oscheocoele (swelling of the scrotum)

lymphogranuloma (swelling of a lymph node)

iridoncus (swelling of the iris of the eye)

intumescence; intumescency (swelling up with blood or other fluids (as with congestion))

haematocele; haematocoele; hematocele; hematocoele (swelling caused by blood collecting in a body cavity (especially a swelling of the membrane covering the testis))

dropsy; edema; hydrops; oedema (swelling from excessive accumulation of watery fluid in cells, tissues, or serous cavities)

bunion (a painful swelling of the bursa of the first joint of the big toe)

bloat (swelling of the rumen or intestinal tract of domestic animals caused by excessive gas)

spermatocele (a swelling on the epididymis or the testis; usually contains spermatozoa)

Derivation:

swell (expand abnormally)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

bulge; bump; excrescence; extrusion; gibbosity; gibbousness; hump; jut; prominence; protrusion; protuberance; swelling

Context example:

the bony excrescence between its horns

Hypernyms ("swelling" is a kind of...):

projection (any solid convex shape that juts out from something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "swelling"):

occipital protuberance (prominence on the outer surface of the occipital bone)

belly (a part that bulges deeply)

caput (a headlike protuberance on an organ or structure)

mogul (a bump on a ski slope)

nub; nubble (a small lump or protuberance)

snag (a sharp protuberance)

wart (any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals))

frontal eminence (either prominence of the frontal bone above each orbit)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The increase in volume of certain substances when they are heated (often accompanied by release of water)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

intumescence; intumescency; swelling

Hypernyms ("swelling" is a kind of...):

chemical action; chemical change; chemical process ((chemistry) any process determined by the atomic and molecular composition and structure of the substances involved)

 Context examples 

Common in Africa, Buruli ulcers start as painful skin swellings.

(New answer to MRSA, other 'superbug' infections: clay minerals?, NSF)

Signs and symptoms include pain, swelling and infection of the affected area.

(Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis, NCI Thesaurus)

The swelling can be on one or both sides of the face.

(Mumps, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Swelling due to an accumulation of excessive fluid in the neck.

(Neck Edema, NCI Thesaurus)

A nerve problem that causes pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, or muscle weakness in different parts of the body.

(Neuropathy, NCI Dictionary)

A disorder characterized by swelling due to an accumulation of excessive fluid in the neck.

(Neck Edema, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

There may be pain, swelling and infection in the areas of necrosis.

(Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis, NCI Dictionary)

A disorder characterized by swelling of the abdomen.

(Abdominal Distention, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

Clinical presentation includes pain and swelling.

(Adult Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma, NCI Thesaurus)

Patients present with diffuse persistent swelling.

(Angiomatosis, NCI Thesaurus)