Swelling (Noun)
Meaning 1
The increase in volume of certain substances when they are heated (often accompanied by release of water).
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The swelling of the clay soil caused the foundation of the house to shift.
- The swelling of the wood due to moisture made it difficult to fit the pieces together.
- The swelling of the metal as it heated up caused it to expand beyond its original shape.
- The swelling of the concrete as it cured made it difficult to achieve a smooth finish.
- The swelling of the gel-like substance as it absorbed water made it useful for applications requiring shock absorption.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings; "the gun in his pocket made an obvious bulge"; "the hump of a camel"; "he stood on the rocky prominence"; "the occipital protuberance was well developed"; "the bony excrescence between its horns".
Classification
Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes.
Examples
- The surgeon's hands carefully cleaned the swelling on the patient's forehead.
- The doctor warned that the swelling from the mosquito bite would take a few days to subside.
- The ugly swelling on the knee made it difficult to walk.
- The tumor was a hard swelling on the side of her neck.
- After the fight, the boxer's face showed several unsightly swellings and bruises.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 3
An abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The doctor examined the swelling on her ankle and asked her to elevate it to reduce the pain.
- After a few days, the swelling in my cheek went down, and I could finally eat comfortably again.
- The patient was concerned about the sudden swelling of her legs, which made it difficult for her to walk.
- The swelling on his eye had turned dark purple and was extremely tender to the touch.
- X-rays confirmed that the swelling in her lymph nodes was due to a viral infection that was going around.