malaxation
(mælækˈseɪʃən)
[ad. L. malaxātiōn-em, n. of action f. malaxāre to malaxate. Cf. F. malaxation.]
a. The action of reducing to a soft mass by kneading or rolling.
| 1657 Tomlinson Renou's Disp. 126 Being by malaxation coagulated. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Malaxation, the working of Pills, and especially Plaisters, with other things, with the hand; a Pestle, or other Instrument. 1894 Times 1 Feb. 5/4 He said ‘malaxation’, or mixing by rolling, was practically the same as kneading. |
b. Ent. (See quot.)
| 1898 Peckham Solitary Wasps 11 The stinging being completed, she [a wasp] proceeded to the process known as malaxation, which consists in repeatedly squeezing the neck of the caterpillar, or other victim [to be used as living food for young wasps], between the mandibles. |
c. A form of massage.
| 1887 D. Maguire Art of Massage (ed. 4) 46 Malaxation is the same movement [as pétrissage], differing only on account of the flat of the hand being applied with more or less strength before bringing the fingers together to exercise the pétrissage. 1961 Brit. Med. Dict. 870/1 Malaxation, pétrissage, one of the movements carried out in massage, in which the muscles are grasped in the masseur's hands and rolled and pressed; kneading. |