impaction

A compression; the packing together of loose matter.

Noun

  1. A compression; the packing together of loose matter.
  2. Something packed together tightly; a mass of densely-packed matter.
  3. A solid, immobile bulk of stool.
    • As plastics cannot be easily egested, these can accumulate within the stomach, causing impaction and leading ultimately to death. - 2021, Alice A. Horton, Isobelle Blissett, Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Freshwater...
  4. The failure of a tooth to erupt into the dental arch, because of adjacent teeth, dense overlying bone, excessive soft tissue, or other factor.
  5. The situation where an institute, usually a college or university, receives more applications from qualified applicants than the number of spaces available, meaning that meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

Origin

From Latin impingere (“to dash against, impinge”).

Forms

impactions

Derived

disimpaction earwax impaction fecal impaction reimpaction