constipation
n. uncountablen. a condition where you find it difficult to empty your bowels or do not go as often as usual. It often makes you feel uncomfortable or bloated.
n. a condition of the digestive system characterized by infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels. Often associated with hardened faeces and abdominal discomfort.
Drinking more water can help prevent constipation.
The doctor suggested increasing dietary fiber to relieve the patient's chronic constipation.
While often a temporary result of dietary changes or dehydration, persistent constipation may indicate underlying gastrointestinal issues that require professional medical evaluation.
First attested in the beginning of the 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English constipacioun, borrowed from Medieval Latin constīpātiō or its Old French equivalent, from cōnstīpō + -tiō. By surface analysis, constipate + -ion.
Usually uncountable when referring to the medical condition; occasionally used with an article in informal contexts ('a case of constipation').