colic

American  

[kol-ik] / ˈkɒl ɪk /

noun

• colics
  plural

1. Also called infantile colic, infant colic. Pathology. a common, temporary condition in which a baby who is otherwise healthy cries repeatedly, excessively, and inconsolably, without apparent cause.

   To help create more awareness about colic, the doctors are writing a book for parents with fussy babies.

2. Pathology, Veterinary Pathology. paroxysmal pain in the abdomen or bowels.

   If a gallstone blocks one of the bile ducts, it can cause sudden, severe abdominal pain, known as biliary colic.

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adjective

Anatomy.

1. relating to or affecting the colon or the bowels.

   Colorectal cancer surgeons must have a good understanding of how colic arteries can differ among people.

colic British  

/ ˈkɒlɪk /

noun

1. a condition characterized by acute spasmodic abdominal pain, esp that caused by inflammation, distention, etc, of the gastrointestinal tract

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colic Scientific  

/ kŏl′ĭk /

1. Severe abdominal pain, often caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera, such as the intestines.

2. A condition seen in infants less than three months old, marked by periods of inconsolable crying lasting for hours at a time for at least three weeks. The cause is unknown.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• colicky
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• colics
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of colic

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English colike, from Middle French colique, Latin colica (passiō) “colonic (suffering),” from Greek kolikós “of the colon,” from kól(on) colon ² + -ikos -ic; cf. colonic ( def. )

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Explanation

When babies have colic, they fuss a lot, as though they are in pain, but for no known reason. It's called colic because that's the word for stomach or intestinal pain, and that's what doctors used to assume it was. A baby is usually diagnosed with colic if they cry for more than three hours a day, three days a week, for three weeks or more. It usually starts when they're only a few weeks old, and fortunately, it usually resolves on its own by the time they reach three or four months old. In horses, on the other hand, colic is a very serious symptom that could be life-threatening due to intestinal twisting or blockage. In humans, colic is abdominal or intestinal pain, especially when caused by kidney stones or gall stones.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

colic colics

Children of mothers with untreated depression had a higher risk of developing digestive conditions, including nausea and vomiting, functional constipation, colic, and irritable bowel syndrome.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 17, 2026

A mum whose baby daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour, after her symptoms were dismissed as colic and reflux for more than two months, is calling for better awareness of the condition.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025

The daughter of Uncle Mo was euthanized on July 15 after complications from colic, a gastrointestinal issue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2025

The neighbor who tries to one-up your saga of seizures with a story about her son’s colic.

From Slate ● Jan. 28, 2024

“She's got you so bewitched that one of these days I'm going to see you twisting around with colic and with a toad in your belly.”

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

My daughter had colics and my husband and I worked it out without any of these ridicules expensive whatever they are....

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2018

And therefore phlegm and colics make a man A most indecent guest.

From Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 2 by Isaac Disraeli

Ah! just my case when I pined for my poor dear Dolly! when she used to have her daily colics, and her little doctor be sent for.

From St. Patrick's day, or, the scheming lieutenant : a farce in one act by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Occasional colics may result from these "stomach stones," and when the latter lodge at the outlet of the stomach they may give rise to symptoms of engorged stomach, already described.

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

His disciple St. Limneus was famous for miraculous cures of the sick, while he himself bore patiently the sharpest colics and other distempers without any human succor.

From The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints January, February, March by Alban Butler

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