kidney

[ kid-nee ]

noun

, plural kid·neys.

1. Anatomy. either of a pair of bean-shaped organs in the back part of the abdominal cavity that form and excrete urine, regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, and act as endocrine glands.
2. Zoology. a corresponding organ in other vertebrate animals or an organ of like function in invertebrates.
3. the meat of an animal's kidney used as food.
4. constitution or temperament:

   He was a quiet child, of a different kidney from his boisterous brothers.

5. kind, sort, or class:

   He is only at ease with men of his own kidney.

kidney

/ ˈkɪdnɪ /

noun

1. either of two bean-shaped organs at the back of the abdominal cavity in man, one on each side of the spinal column. They maintain water and electrolyte balance and filter waste products from the blood, which are excreted as urine nephriticrenal
2. the corresponding organ in other animals
3. the kidneys of certain animals used as food
4. class, type, or disposition (esp in the phrases of the same or a different kidney )

kidney

/ kĭd′nē /

1. Either of a pair of organs that are located in the rear of the abdominal cavity in vertebrates. The kidneys regulate fluid balance in the body and filter out wastes from the blood in the form of urine. The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. Wastes filtered from the blood by the nephrons drain into the ureters, muscular tubes that connect each kidney to the bladder.
2. See also nephron

Derived Forms

• ˈkidneyˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• kidney·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kidney¹

1275–1325; Middle English kidenei, kidenere (singular), kideneres, kideneren (plural); origin uncertain; perhaps a compound based either on nere (singular), neres (plural) kidney ( Old English *nēore; compare Old High German nioro, Old Norse nȳra ); or ei (singular), eiren (plural) egg ¹, Old English ǣg (singular), ǣgru (plural) (by association with the organ's shape); for the first element compare dial. kid pod (akin to cod ² )

Word History and Origins

Origin of kidney¹

C14: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Glaser came to Katz’s story by way of her long-lost son, an adult in need of a new kidney by the time the author met him.

From Washington Post

Recently acquired wing Caris LeVert had successful surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his left kidney, the Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday.

From Washington Post

This goes back to the idea of whether financial incentives might skew someone’s judgment toward selling their kidneys or eggs.

From Freakonomics

One of the organs most sorely needed is the kidney, and it’s also one of the hardest to re-create.

From Singularity Hub 

A third-grade teacher in Minnesota donated a kidney to her school’s custodianThe $32,000 the inmates raised includes $8,000 kicked in by Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs, a nonprofit group that Gray and his father started in 2008.

From Washington Post

The one with the fever and the rash and the kidney failure that eventually killed her?

From The Daily Beast

His conservatism, which is more of a cultural than political kidney, seems to fascinate, delight or detract critics.

From The Daily Beast

In 2005, DOC paid $37,244 for one coronary bypass surgery and $32,897 for one kidney transplant surgery.

From The Daily Beast

Seeing one is especially important if you have diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease, says Dubost.

From The Daily Beast

Their app, Colorimetrix, is accurate enough to monitor conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, and urinary tract infections.

From The Daily Beast

They are succeeded by kidney shaped capsules of a brown color.

From Project Gutenberg

One whist table only is at work; General Pepper and three old hands of the same kidney are hard at it.

From Project Gutenberg

The finding of blood-casts is the only certain means of diagnosing the kidney as its source.

From Project Gutenberg

Pus-casts may appear if the process extends up into the kidney tubules (see Fig. 62).

From Project Gutenberg

It consisted of farinha, kidney-beans, and dried beef, a fixed measure of each to every person.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• assortment
• brand
• breed
• category
• character
• description
• kind
• nature
• quality
• strain