colic

American  

[kol-ik] / ˈkɒl ɪk /

noun

1. Also called infantile colic.  Also called 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

• colicky
  adjective

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. )

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

Colic is intense and prolonged crying in an otherwise healthy infant, but the crying episodes typically resolve over time, without treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2022

Colic is one of the most common causes of death in horses.

From Washington Times • Dec. 3, 2015

Colic in stomach region and is caused by bad food.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson

As an astringent in severe Diarrhœa, and an anti-spasmodic in Colic, with Cramps in the Abdomen, the relief is instantaneous.

From A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes by Francatelli, Charles Elmé

Colic always precedes this, for the accident could not occur unless the bowel was in places spasmodically contracted.

From The Dog by Dinks