congestive

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   medical: involving or caused by an abnormal accumulation of blood or other fluid

   Doctors adjusted her treatment for congestive heart failure.

2. 2
   adj

   characterized by excessive crowding, blockage, or accumulation

   The narrow checkpoint created a congestive bottleneck at the station.

Formed from congest + -ive. Congest comes from Latin congerere, 'heap or bring together,' from con-, 'together,' + gerere, 'carry.' The medical sense applies that idea to accumulated blood or fluid; broader uses refer to crowding or blockage.

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