hiatus hernia: Meaning and Definition of

hia'tus her'nia

Pronunciation: [key]
— Pathol. Pathol.
  1. an abnormal condition in which part of the stomach protrudes upward through the esophageal cleft in the diaphragm, sometimes causing a backflow of acid stomach contents into the esophagus.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.