bəˈlätmənt, ba-, F bȧlȯtmäⁿ noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, literally, act of tossing, shaking, from ballotter + -ment
medicine : a method of determining the presence or absence of a floating object by using the sense of touch: as
a. : the act of pushing up the uterus with a finger inserted below in order to detect pregnancy by feeling the return impact when a fetus displaced in the amniotic fluid sinks back
b. : a similar procedure for diagnosing floating kidney