tenesmus

T1E1N1E1S1M3U1S1
/tɪˈnɛz.məs/

noun

A continual or recurrent but ineffectual inclination to evacuate the bowels, caused by disorder of the rectum or other illness.

OriginMedieval Latin tēnesmus ← Ancient Greek τεινεσμός →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nountenesmus (countable and uncountable, plural tenesmuses)

plural tenesmuses

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA continual or recurrent but ineffectual inclination to evacuate the bowels, caused by disorder of the rectum or other illness.

    The general complaints of disease among us, were a dizziness in the head, great weakness of the joints, and violent tenesmus, most of us having had no evacuation by stool since we left the ship.

    1790, William Bligh, A Narrative of the Mutiny

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekτεινεσμός“vain endeavor to evacuate”
  2. Medieval Latintēnesmus
  3. Englishtenesmus

Borrowing from Medieval Latin tēnesmus, from Ancient Greek τεινεσμός (teinesmós, “vain endeavor to evacuate”), from τείνω (teínō, “to stretch, to pull tight”) + -εσμός (-esmós, nominal suffix).

More words from Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 裡急後重 /里急后重
  • 裡急後重 /里急后重 (lǐjíhòuzhòng)inclination to evacuate the bowels
German Stuhlzwang
  • Stuhlzwanginclination to evacuate the bowels
Portuguese tenesmo
  • tenesmoinclination to evacuate the bowels
Spanish tenesmo
  • tenesmoinclination to evacuate the bowels

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

muteness
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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