Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DIS-TEN'TION, n. [L. distentio.]

1. The act of distending; the act of stretching in breadth or in all directions; the state of being distended; as, the distention of the lungs or bowels.
2. Breadth; extent or space occupied by the thing distended.
3. An opening, spreading or divarication; as, the distention of the legs.