palpation
(pælˈpeɪʃən)
[ad. L. palpātion-em stroking, flattering, flattery, n. of action of palpāre to palp; cf. F. palpation (15th c. in Godef.).]
Touching, feeling by touch, handling; gentle handling; spec. medical examination by feeling.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 19/2 Forthly by palpacion of his very body. 1640 Watts tr. Bacon's Adv. Learn. v. ii. 226 When a man essayes all kind of Experiments without sequence or method that is a meere palpation [L. palpatio]. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Palpation, flattery, cogging, fair speaking, soothing. 1688 [see palmation 1]. 1853 Dunglison Med. Lex., Palpation, the sense of touch. It is also used for the mode of exploring disease by feeling..the diseased organ. 1879 G. Macdonald Sir Gibbie I. xxii. 320 A hairy thing lay by his side, which..he examined by palpation, and found to be a dog. |
| attrib. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 898 The presence of emphysema tends to mask the percussion and palpation signs very considerably. |