a distending or being distended; inflation; expansion
Word origin
L distentio
distention in American English
(dɪˈstenʃən)
noun
the act of distending or the state of being distended
Also: distension
Word origin
[1375–1425; late ME distensioun ‹ L distentiōn- (s. of distentiō), equiv. to distent(us) distent + -iōn--ion]This word is first recorded in the period 1375–1425. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: gauge, guard, inventory, representation, trick-ion is a suffix, appearing in words of Latin origin, denoting action or condition, usedin Latin and in English to form nouns from stems of Latin adjectives (communion; union), verbs (legion; opinion), and esp. past participles (allusion; creation; fusion; notion; torsion)