Tumescent
/tuːˈmɛsənt/noun
Becoming swollen or distended.
Did you know?Tumescent comes from Latin *tumescentem*, the present participle of *tumescere* “to begin to swell,” from *tumēre* “to swell,” a root that also gave English *tumor* and *tumult*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tewh₂-
“to swell, become puffed up”
Latin
Latin
tumēre
“to swell”
Latin
Latin
tumescere
“to begin to swell”
Late Latin
Latin
tumescentem
“swelling, becoming swollen”
14th Century
English
tumescent
“swelling or becoming swollen”
Modern English
English
tumescent
“becoming swollen or distended”
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