/kon"steuh payt'/ , v.t., constipated, constipating .
1. to cause constipation in; make costive.
2. Informal. to cause to become slow-moving or immobilized; restrict the action or effectiveness of: Bureaucratic red tape can constipate the operations of any government agency.
3. Obs. to crowd or pack closely together.
[ 1375-1425; late ME (ptp.) constipatus (ptp. of constipare ), equiv. to con- CON- + stipa- (s. of stipare to crowd, press) + -tus ptp. suffix ]