engorgement

[ en-gawrj-muhnt ]

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of engorgement¹

First recorded in 1605–15; engorge ( def ) + -ment ( def )

Example Sentences

The blood-red hue of a small, 1974 silkscreen version in vermilion, installed with four drawings in a side gallery, evokes engorgement and violence.

From Los Angeles Times

“The engorgement of the American vehicle,” as Gregory Shill of the University of Iowa has called it, can kill pedestrians and people in smaller vehicles.

From New York Times

She hopes to end the stigma around breastfeeding by discussing subjects like mastitis and engorgement with her male colleagues, although it sometimes makes them squirm.

From New York Times

Potentially compounding an increase in arterial blood volume is an engorgement of the large vessels draining the head, such as the jugular veins.

From Scientific American

Breastfeeding women can face a variety of medical problems from cracked nipples and engorgement to thrush and mastitis.

From BBC

Related Words

• deluge
• flash flood
• overabundance
• torrent