ballottement

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noun

A method of diagnosing pregnancy, in which the uterus is pushed with a finger to feel whether a foetus moves away and returns again.

OriginFrench ballottement →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounballottement (countable and uncountable, plural ballottements)

plural ballottements

  1. countablehistoricaluncountablemedicineA method of diagnosing pregnancy, in which the uterus is pushed with a finger to feel whether a foetus moves away and returns again.
  2. countableuncountablemedicineAn increased amount of fluid in the suprapatellar pouch of the knee.

Origin

  1. Frenchballottement
  2. Englishballottement

From French ballottement, from ballotter (“ballot”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ballottement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballottement

MLA

“ballottement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballottement. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ballottement,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballottement.

Source: ballottement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.