v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Constipated; p. pr. & vb. n. Constipating. ] [ L. constipatus, p. p. of constipare; con- + stipare to crowd together. See Costive. ] 1. To crowd or cram into a narrow compass; to press together or condense. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Of cold the property is to condense and constipate. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To stop (a channel) by filling it, and preventing passage through it; as, to constipate the capillary vessels. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) To render costive; to cause constipation in. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having difficult or incomplete or infrequent evacuation of the bowels; costive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. causing constipation.
Syn. -- binding. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. constipatio a crowding together: cf. F. constipation. ] 1. Act of crowding anything into a less compass, or the state of being crowded or pressed together; condensation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Fullness of matter, or a pretty close constipation . . . of its particles. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A state of the bowels in which the evacuations are infrequent and difficult, or the intestines become filled with hardened fæces; costiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]