Under normal conditions in women, the bladder is held in place by a hammock of supportive pelvic floor muscles and tissue. When these tissues are stretched and/or become weak, the bladder can drop and bulge through this layer and into the vagina. This results in bladder prolapse, also called cystocele. In severe cases, the prolapsed bladder can appear at the opening of the vagina.
famine noun [C/U]. âº an âextreme âlack of âfood in a âregion, causing âsuffering and âdeath: [U] Widespread famine was âreported in the âregion. (Definition of famine from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary Â© Cambridge University Press). See all translations.
Great Famine. Great Famine, also called Irish Potato Famine, Great Irish Famine, or Famine of 1845â49, famine that occurred in Ireland in 1845â49 when the potato crop failed in successive years. The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant. The causative agent of late blight is the water mold Phytophthora infestans. The Irish famine was the worst to occur in Europe in the 19th century.