See? It looks like a pillow. I think puffing or swelling are other terms in use, but I prefer pillowing. You might not want to lay your head on this one though. This issue is described pretty well (and humorously) here and here.
This particular battery was in a mouse I was using today. The battery was originally 5.0mm thick, but it has swelled to 6.5mm. This swelling indicates trouble inside, perhaps poor quality control by the battery manufacturer but more likely poor charging circuitry from the mouse manufacturer.
Fortunately for me, my mouse had a built-in emergency warning system. Remember that 1.5mm of additional thickness? It caused the mouse's outer enclosure to fall apart!
So, as you're going about your day, take note of all the lithium-powered devices around you (smartphones, laptops, power tools, etc.) which are NOT puffing up, falling apart, or bursting into flames. It's seldom glamorous, but we embedded electronics engineers are looking out for you!
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