swelling Meaning, Definition & Usage

1. noun an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement
   puffiness; lump.
   
2. noun something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings
   protrusion; extrusion; bulge; gibbousness; hump; prominence; bump; excrescence; jut; gibbosity; protuberance.
   
   • the gun in his pocket made an obvious bulge
   • the hump of a camel
   • he stood on the rocky prominence
   • the occipital protuberance was well developed
   • the bony excrescence between its horns
3. noun the increase in volume of certain substances when they are heated (often accompanied by release of water)
   intumescence; intumescency.
   
4. verb increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
   swell.
   
   • The music swelled to a crescendo
5. verb become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger
   puff up; swell.
   
   • The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son
6. verb expand abnormally
   swell up; swell; intumesce; tumefy; tumesce.
   
   • The bellies of the starving children are swelling
7. verb come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things)
   swell; well up.
   
   • Strong emotions welled up
   • Smoke swelled from it
8. verb come up, as of a liquid
   swell; well.
   
   • Tears well in her eyes
   • the currents well up
9. verb cause to become swollen
   swell.
   
   • The water swells the wood

WordNet