peristalsis
noun /ˌperɪˈstælsɪs/
/ˌperɪˈstælsɪs/
[uncountable] (biology)- the wave-like movements of the intestine, etc. caused when the muscles pull tight and relaxWord Originmid 19th cent.: modern Latin, from Greek peristallein ‘wrap around’, from peri- ‘around’ + stallein ‘to place’.