cecum

American  

[see-kuhm] / ˈsi kəm /

Or caecum

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

• ceca
  plural

1. a cul-de-sac, especially that in which the large intestine begins.

---

cecum British  

/ ˈsiːkəm /

noun

1. a variant spelling of caecum

---

cecum Scientific  

/ sē′kəm /

• ceca
  plural

1. A large pouch forming the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix and the ileum of the small intestine both connect to the cecum.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cecal
  adjective
• subcecal
  adjective
• cecally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ceca
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cecum

1715–25; short for Latin intestinum caecum blind gut

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cecum

Mice possess a cecum -- a pouch in their digestive system that slows the flow of intestinal contents and helps digest carbohydrates, which may contribute to being able to better tolerate sorbitol.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 15, 2024

Rabbits digest their food twice: the first time food passes through the digestive system, it collects in the cecum, and then it passes through the anus as soft feces called cecotrophes.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

The cecum receives semi-solid waste from small intestine.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Then came a barrage of medical terms--villous, cecum, colectomy--each of which Speakes had to spell out painstakingly.

From Time Magazine Archive

These two occur in the small intestine; a form intermediate in size may also be found in the cecum and colon.

From Special Report on Diseases of the Horse by Michener, Charles B.