bloat
bloat Lexical Profile
bloat Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A state of swelling or uncomfortable fullness in the abdomen caused by the accumulation of gas or fluid.
"Drinking peppermint tea helped relieve the uncomfortable bloat after the heavy holiday meal."
Excessive, unnecessary size, complexity, or resource consumption in an organization, budget, or computer program.
"The engineering team refactored the codebase to eliminate software bloat and improve loading speeds."
An acute, life-threatening veterinary condition in ruminants and large dogs in which the stomach becomes overdistended with gas and sometimes twists.
"Veterinarians warn owners of deep-chested dog breeds to watch for early signs of bloat after vigorous exercise."
• verb
To swell or cause to swell outward, especially from an abnormal accumulation of fluid or gas.
"Consuming too much sodium can cause the body to retain water and bloat."
To make something excessively large, inefficient, or unwieldy by adding unnecessary elements or costs.
"Last-minute design changes threatened to bloat the project budget beyond what the client approved."
British To cure fish, especially herring, by salting and lightly smoking it.
"Along the East Anglian coast, fishermen traditionally used oak smoke to bloat the autumn catch of herring."
• Rhymes for bloat
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originated in Middle English from the adjective 'blote' (meaning soft, flabby, or soaked), likely derived from Old Norse 'blautr' (soft, wet, or weak). It initially described fish cured by soaking and smoking before shifting in the 17th century to mean swelling or puffing up.