intussusception
/ˌɪntəsəˈsɛpʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1 Medicine The inversion of one portion of the intestine within another: intussusception is the most common cause of bowel obstruction in those 3 months to 6 years of age [count noun]: an intussusception may be the cause of the child’s pain...
- In contrast, benign conditions caused the majority of small intestinal intussusceptions.
- She also had an unusual history of experiencing numerous intussusceptions near her ileocecal valve, but diagnostic x-rays were unable to demonstrate this.
- In many instances, the barium enema not only shows the intussusception, but the pressure from putting it in the bowel may also unfold the bowel that has been turned inside out, instantly curing the obstruction.
2 Botany The growth of a cell wall by the deposition of cellulose: the area of the surface increases uniformly by intussusception
Origin
Early 18th century (in the sense 'absorption'): from modern Latin intussusceptio(n-), from Latin intus 'within' + susceptio(n-) (from suscipere 'take up').