peristaltic
|per-is-tal-tic|
🇺🇸
/ˌpɛrɪˈstɔːltɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌpɛrɪˈstɒltɪk/
wave-like contraction
Etymology
'peristaltic' originates from Neo-Latin 'peristalticus', ultimately from Greek 'peristaltikos', where 'peri-' meant 'around' and the root related to 'stalt-' (from a form meaning 'to contract' or 'to compress').
'peristaltic' changed from Greek 'peristaltikos' to Late Latin/Neo-Latin 'peristalticus' and eventually entered English as 'peristaltic'.
Initially it carried the literal sense of 'around-contraction' in Greek, and over time the meaning specialized to refer to the modern physiological sense: 'relating to peristalsis' (wave-like muscular contractions that move contents along a tube).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or produced by peristalsis; involving rhythmic, wave-like contractions of the walls of a tubular organ (such as the intestine) that move contents along.
The peristaltic contractions of the intestine help push food through the digestive tract.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/21 11:08