the bends
plural nounDefinition of the bends
medical
: a painful and dangerous condition caused by rising to the surface too quickly after being deep underwater breathing compressed air
Comments on the bends
What made you want to look up the bends? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Namesakes Word Quiz
- Which of the following is a fruit named after a Moroccan seaport?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Namesakes Word Quiz
When names become words and then we ask you about...
Take the quiz - Farm Idioms Quiz
Not your children's farm quiz.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put i...
Play the game
Share the bends