contracture

n. an abnormal shortening or tightening of a muscle, which can result in permanent disability due to difficulty in stretching the muscle. A contracture often follows a disorder or injury that makes movement painful or is a consequence of prolonged, enforced inactivity (e.g., a coma).

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Psychology term of the day

February 17th 2025

mammography

n. a diagnostic procedure that uses low-dose X-ray photography to detect breast tumors or other abnormalities, either noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). The X-ray negative produced is called a mammogram.