peristalsis
English
WOTD – 5 October 2010
Etymology
From Ancient Greek δύναμις περισταλτική (dúnamis peristaltikḗ, “the action of the bowels by which their contents are propelled”) , from περιστέλλω (peristéllō, “to wrap around”), from περι- (peri-, “around”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “to make ready, to prepare”).
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
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Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /peɾisˈtalsis/ [pe.ɾisˈt̪al.sis]
- Rhymes: -alsis
- Syllabification: pe‧ris‧tal‧sis
Related terms
Further reading
- “peristalsis”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
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