Definition of "tumescence" [tu•mes•cence]

• A swelling or enlarging. (noun)
• A swollen condition. (noun)
• A swollen part or organ. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The Liberals let the budget pass, which left the Harper government in office but in a state of political semi-tumescence, which is where it's been since those first days."
• "For those who know what "tumescence" is, the term makes a lot of sense."
• "It is tumescence which is the really essential part of the process, and we cannot afford, with Moll, to ignore it altogether."