bends
1 synonym for bends, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Informal name for decompression sickness, caused by surfacing too quickly from deep water.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
aeroembolism
How to use bends
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
get the bends
risk of the bends
Etymology
So named because sufferers historically bent over in pain, a posture that also echoed a fashionable stooped walk of the era nicknamed "the Grecian bend."
Full origin of bends →Frequently asked questions
What does “bends” mean?
The word “bends” means informal name for decompression sickness, caused by surfacing too quickly from deep water. In plain terms, the common name for decompression sickness in divers, caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the blood after surfacing too fast.
How do you pronounce “bends”?
“Bends” is pronounced behndz (/bɛndz/ in IPA).
How do you use “bends” in a sentence?
Here is “bends” used in a sentence: “The diver was rushed to a hyperbaric chamber to treat the bends.”
What part of speech is “bends”?
“Bends” is a noun.
Is “bends” a common word?
“Bends” is an uncommon word in modern English.
