bladder

American  

[blad-er] / ˈblæd ər /

noun

1. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. a membranous sac or organ serving as a receptacle for a fluid or air.

   2. urinary bladder.

2. Pathology. a vesicle, blister, cyst, etc., filled with fluid or air.

3. Botany. an air-filled sac or float, as in certain seaweeds.

4. something resembling a bladder, as the inflatable lining of a football or basketball.

5. an air-filled sac, usually made to resemble a club, used for beatings in low comedy, vaudeville, or the like.

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bladder British  

/ ˈblædə /

noun

1. anatomy a distensible membranous sac, usually containing liquid or gas, esp the urinary bladder

2. an inflatable part of something

3. a blister, cyst, vesicle, etc, usually filled with fluid

4. a hollow vesicular or saclike part or organ in certain plants, such as the bladderwort or bladderwrack

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bladder Scientific  

/ blăd′ər /

1. A sac-shaped muscular organ that stores the urine secreted by the kidneys, found in all vertebrates except birds and the monotremes. In mammals, urine is carried from the kidneys to the bladder by the ureters and is later discharged from the body through the urethra.

2. An air bladder.

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bladder Cultural  

1. A stretchable saclike structure in the body that holds fluids. The term is used most often to refer to the urinary bladder, which is part of the excretory system. Another kind of bladder is the gallbladder.

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Other Word Forms

• bladderless adjective
• bladderlike adjective
• bladdery adjective

Etymology

Origin of bladder

before 900; Middle English; Old English blǣddre, blǣdre bladder, blister, pimple; cognate with Old Norse blāthra, dialectal Dutch bladder, German Blatter; akin to blow ²

Example Sentences

According to a statement provided to the New York Post, Finn was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times

He had a procedure which resulted in the removal of part of his pancreas, the duodenum, the gall bladder and part of his liver.

From BBC

It said the small number of lives saved by finding some cancers early would be outweighed by the number of patients harmed by unnecessary treatment, which can lead to a loss of bladder control.

From BBC

Members no longer need to hold the floor and talk nonstop, testing not just the power of their argument but their physical mettle and bladder control.

From Los Angeles Times

“Never go on an empty stomach or a full bladder,” she says, quoting some age-old advice for tourists.

From The Wall Street Journal