Definition

The process of a swollen area returning to its normal size after being enlarged, often used in medical contexts.

Example

After the injury, the doctor monitored the detumescence of the patient's ankle.

Conversation

I read an interesting article about detumescence and its effects on the body.

Oh really? What did it say?

It explained how detumescence happens after an erection, which is pretty fascinating.

That is interesting! I never thought about the science behind that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Detumescence → It is formed from "de-" (meaning down or away) and "tumescere" (meaning to swell). The word describes the process of swelling going down or subsiding.

Memory Tip

Think of something that is 'going down' ('de-') after it has 'swelled' ('tumescere') — that's what detumescence means.

Visually Confused Words