(n.) A stretching and stiffening of the trunk and extremities, as when fatigued and drowsy.
Example Sentences:
Stiffen
Definition:
(v. t.) To make stiff; to make less pliant or flexible; as, to stiffen cloth with starch.
(v. t.) To inspissate; to make more thick or viscous; as, to stiffen paste.
(v. t.) To make torpid; to benumb.
(v. i.) To become stiff or stiffer, in any sense of the adjective.
Example Sentences:
(1) Rigidly fixing the pubic symphysis stiffened the model and resulted in principal stress patterns that did not reflect trabecular density or orientations as well as those of the deformable pubic symphysis model.
(2) The results indicate that during non-hypotensive haemorrhage aortic baroreceptor discharge is reduced by two mechanisms: firstly, via constriction and stiffening of aortic smooth muscle and, secondly, via direct effects of the compensatory mechanisms on the baroreceptors.
(3) It endures in the wound that is slow to heal, the disability that isn't going away, the dream that wakes you at night, or the stiffening in your spine when a car backfires down the street.
(4) Clinical specifications: On a local clinical level, the total toothlessness of the elderly presents as: a muscular hypotomy, a loss of the vertical dimension of occlusion, a marked increase in nasal and oral fissures, a stiffening of the articular structures, a great reduction of osteo-mucus in the residual edges, a spreading of the tongue which invades the oral cavity, a loss of occlusive memory, Bearing on therapy and teaching: good clinical observation, constant reference to the medical services, appropriate surgery prior to denture fitting.
(5) They also complained of exercise-induced stiffening and cramps of their leg muscles.
(6) The results indicate that, in chronic vasospasm, stiffening of the noncontractile component of the vasculature takes place as well as alterations in the contractile component, both of which presumably contribute to the shift in resting length-tension relationship and length-contraction relationship of the artery.
(7) More recently, local stiffening of vessels and inhomogeneities in local distensibility have been observed in the carotid artery bifurcation of borderline hypertensives, and the time-dependent variation in local distensibility and compliance has been studied.
(8) The results indicate density-related increases in membrane stiffness and viscosity, shear-thinning viscous behavior, and strain-stiffening elastic behavior.
(9) Drugs have little effect on arterial stiffening, whereas wave reflection can be markedly reduced by agents that dilate peripheral arteries.
(10) The most reliable ethanol withdrawal signs observed were: spontaneous seizure (n = 7), audiogenic seizure (n = 7), tremors (n = 6), tail stiffening (n = 10) and body rigidity (n = 9).
(11) A stiffened dithranol 0.5% ointment was found to be slightly more effective than the best paste hitherto employed.
(12) Because the microhardness of bone is very closely related to its stiffness, this finding indicates that microcalluses are likely to stiffen the trabeculae in which they are formed, even though they may surround unhealed fractures of the cancellous trabeculae.
(13) The curvature and stiffening of the ventral wall of the trachea can be achieved by the implantation of arched homograft cactilage taken from a tissue bank.
(14) There are two main patterns of PV curve in restrictive lung disorders--one due to stiffening of the lung (Fig.
(15) Finally, hypotheses are presented concerning the mechanism of membrane stiffening due to type II modifications of spectrin.
(16) There was always a rueful melancholy, stiffened by irony and leavened by humour about him.
(17) Records of acceleration following a displacement showed a series of decrementing swings which could last for more than 10 s. The imposition of sinusoidal torques generated by a printed motor showed that the system was non-linear for when small torques were used the resonant frequency rose indicating stiffening.
(18) Carbamazepine also alleviated alcohol withdrawal symptoms, especially heightened spontaneous activity, startle to noise, stereotyped chewing movements, and intermittent body stiffening.
(19) The metallic-weighted tips and stiffening introducing stylets create the potential for misplacement with potentially serious consequences.
(20) This increase encompasses both the clinically normal and hypertensive ranges of pressure and is due in part to arterial stiffening.