stricture

views updated May 23 2018

stric·ture / ˈstrikchər/ • n. 1. a restriction on a person or activity: religious strictures on everyday life.2. a sternly critical or censorious remark or instruction: his strictures on their lack of civic virtue.3. Med. abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body: a colonic stricture | jaundice caused by bile duct stricture. DERIVATIVES: stric·tured adj.

stricture

views updated May 23 2018

stricture
A. (path.) morbid narrowing XIV (rare before XVII); †binding, tight closure;

B. †touch, slight trace; incidental comment; (now) adverse criticism XVII. — L. strictūra, f. strict-, pp. stem of stringere, repr. two orig. different words, (A) touch, stroke, fig. blame, rel. to STRIKE, (B) draw tight, rel. to STRANGLE, STRING.

stricture

views updated Jun 08 2018

stricture (strik-cher) n. a narrowing of any tubular structure in the body. A stricture may result from inflammation, muscular spasm, growth of a tumour within the affected part, or from pressure on it by neighbouring organs. urethral s. a fibrous narrowing of the urethra, usually resulting from injury or inflammation. The patient has increasing difficulty in passing urine and may develop retention.