n.
Pronunciation: ˌ per- ə - ' sto ̇ l-s ə s, - ' stäl-, - ' stal-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -stal · ses \ - ˌ s ē z \
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek peristaltikos peristaltic
Date: 1859
: successive waves of involuntary contraction passing along the walls of a hollow muscular structure (as the esophagus or intestine) and forcing the contents onward