tenesmus

(ti nez′məs, -nes′-)

noun

Med. a feeling of urgent need to defecate or urinate, with a straining but unsuccessful effort to do so

Origin: ML < L tenesmos < Gr teinesmos < teinein, to stretch: see thin

See tenesmus in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A painfully urgent but ineffectual attempt to urinate or defecate.

Origin:

Origin: Medieval Latin tēnesmus

Origin: , variant of Latin tēnesmos

Origin: , from Greek teinesmos

Origin: , from teinein, to strain, stretch; see ten- in Indo-European roots

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