Engorgements

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of becoming excessively filled; a state of being swollen or overstuffed due to an overflow of content or substance; an instance where something becomes excessively developed or enlarged due to an excessive intake or accumulation of material
2. A condition in which something is swollen or enlarged, often due to an accumulation of fluid or substance in excess; the result of a process that fills something beyond its normal capacity, causing it to bulge or expand; a situation where there is a notable growth or increase in size because of overwhelming quantities
3. The phenomenon of excessive filling leading to swelling or expansion, often resulting from an overload of resources or substances; a scenario marked by the over-enrichment or superabundance of a thing, causing noticeable distension; an example of growth or inflation due to saturation and surplus material beyond usual limits

Etymology: "Engorgements" is the plural of "engorgement," which is a noun formed from the verb "engorge" plus the suffix "-ment." The verb "engorge" is built from the prefix "en-" (meaning "into" or "in") and "gorge," a word that originally referred to the throat or gullet and later came to mean to stuff or swallow greedily. So the verb began as a way of describing filling oneself to the throat. The suffix "-ment" has a long pedigree. It descends from Latin "-mentum," which formed nouns expressing the result or means of an action, and it reached English through Old French "-ment." Attaching it to a verb produced a noun naming the state or result of that action, which is why "engorgement" denotes the condition of being swollen or overfilled rather than the act of gorging.

Synonyms: swelling, inflation, overfilling