displacement

displacement definition - medical

dis·place·ment (dĭs-plāsˈmənt)

noun
  1. Removal from the normal location or position.
  2. A defense mechanism in which there is an unconscious shift of emotions, affect, or desires from the original object to a more acceptable or immediate substitute.
  3. A chemical reaction in which an atom, a radical, or a molecule replaces another in a compound.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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