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Swelling of the abdomen from gas in the intestinal or peritoneal cavity. SYN: meteorism, tympania, tympanism. [L. fr. G. t., an edema in which the belly is stretched like a drum, tympanon]
- uterine t. SYN: physometra.
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tym·pa·ni·tes .tim-pə-'nīt-ēz n a distension of the abdomen caused by accumulation of gas in the intestinal tract or peritoneal cavity
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n.
distension of the abdomen with air or gas: the abdomen is resonant (drumlike) on percussion. Causes include intestinal obstruction, the irritable bowel syndrome, and aerophagy.
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tym·pa·ni·tes (tim″pə-niґtēz) [Gr. tympanitēs, from tympanon drum] distention of the abdomen from gas or air in the intestine or peritoneal cavity, as in peritonitis and typhoid fever. Called also meteorism.Medical dictionary. 2011.