Meanings
abbreviation DCS
- uncountablemedicineA sometimes fatal condition resulting from the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood and tissues, because of too rapid decompression, seen especially in deep-sea divers ascending rapidly from a dive. It is characterized by severe pains in the joints and chest, skin irritation, cramps, nausea, and paralysis.
The diver suffered underwater decompression sickness after searching for the bodies of the Italians who, according to Italy’s foreign ministry, had “apparently died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres (164ft)”.
2026 May 16, Donna Ferguson, “Maldives diver dies in operation to recover bodies of Italians from cave”, in The Guardian, →ISSNSynonyms: aeroembolism, aeroemphysema, the bends, caisson disease
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA sometimes fatal condition resulting from the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood and tissues, because of too rapid decompression, seen especially in deep-sea divers ascending rapidly from a dive. It is characterized by severe pains in the joints and chest, skin irritation, cramps, nausea, and paralysis.
More synonyms by meaning
nounpain resulting from rapid change in pressure
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian кесонна болест
- кесонна болест (kesonna bolest)condition from rapid decompression
Catalan malaltia de descompressió
- malaltia de descompressiócondition from rapid decompression
Chinese Mandarin 減壓病 /减压病, 减压症
- 減壓病 /减压病 (jiǎnyābìng)condition from rapid decompression
- 减压症 (jiǎnyābìng)condition from rapid decompression
Dutch caissonziekte
- caissonziektecondition from rapid decompression
Finnish sukeltajantauti, dekompressiotauti
- sukeltajantauticondition from rapid decompression
- dekompressiotauticondition from rapid decompression
- alipainetauticondition from rapid decompression
French maladie de décompression, maladie des caissons
- maladie de décompressioncondition from rapid decompression
- maladie des caissonscondition from rapid decompression
- accident de décompressioncondition from rapid decompression
German Dekompressionskrankheit, Caissonkrankheit
- Dekompressionskrankheitcondition from rapid decompression
- Caissonkrankheitcondition from rapid decompression
Hungarian dekompressziós betegség, keszonbetegség
- dekompressziós betegségcondition from rapid decompression
- keszonbetegségcondition from rapid decompression
Japanese 減圧症
- 減圧症 (gen'atsushō)condition from rapid decompression
Polish choroba kesonowa, choroba dekompresyjna
- choroba kesonowacondition from rapid decompression
- choroba dekompresyjnacondition from rapid decompression
Portuguese doença de descompressão
- doença de descompressãocondition from rapid decompression
Russian декомпрессио́нная боле́знь, кессо́нная боле́знь
- декомпрессио́нная боле́знь (dekompressiónnaja boléznʹ)condition from rapid decompression
- кессо́нная боле́знь (kessónnaja boléznʹ)condition from rapid decompression
Swedish tryckfallssjuka, dykarsjuka
- tryckfallssjukacondition from rapid decompression
- dykarsjukacondition from rapid decompression
- kassunsjukacondition from rapid decompression
Thai โรคน้ำหนีบ, น้ำหนีบ
- โรคน้ำหนีบcondition from rapid decompression
- น้ำหนีบcondition from rapid decompression
Turkish dekompresyon hastalığı, vurgun
- dekompresyon hastalığıcondition from rapid decompression
- vurguncondition from rapid decompression
Cite this entry
decompression sickness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decompression%20sickness
“decompression sickness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decompression%20sickness. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decompression sickness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decompression%20sickness.
Source: decompression sickness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.