Bloat's a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content. It's also commonly referred to as torsion, gastric torsion, and gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) when the stomach's also twisted. The word bloat's often used as a general term to cover gas distension of the stomach with or without twisting. The name comes from the Middle English blout, meaning soft or puffed, which's from the Old Norse blautr, meaning soft or soaked. Meteorism, its name derived fro… (More on Bloat)