DISTENTION, noun [Latin] 1. The act of distending; the act of stretching in breadth or in all directions; the state of being distended; as the distention of the lungs or bowels. 2. Breadth; extent or space occupied by the thing distended. 3. An opening, spreading or divarication; as the distention of the legs.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI