abdomen
[ab-duh-muh n, ab-doh-]
- Anatomy, Zoology.
- the part of the body of a mammal between the thorax and the pelvis; belly.
- the cavity of this part of the body containing the stomach, intestines, etc.
- (in nonmammalian vertebrates) a region of the body corresponding to, but not coincident with, this part or cavity.
- Entomology. the posterior section of the body of an arthropod, behind the thorax or the cephalothorax.
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Origin of abdomen
1535–45; (< Middle French) < Latin abdōmen belly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for abdomen
Contemporary Examples
But even I have my share of patients with chronic pain of some kind, be it in the abdomen or head or back.
The tight fit also restricts your abdomen, reducing your food intake during the day.
The sick sister was healed after relics from John XXIII were placed on the fistula on her abdomen.
Popes, Saints, Miracles, Weird Relics and Odd Omens Converge on RomeBarbie Latza Nadeau
April 26, 2014
Two bullets lodged in his abdomen and he was taken to the hospital for surgery.
A WWII re-enactor is brought into the hospital when a homemade bazooka backfires and leaves an unexploded grenade in his abdomen.
Historical Examples
He received a bullet in the chest and another in the abdomen.
Then he held the prisoner at arm's length while something clicked in his abdomen.
Arm of the LawHarry Harrison
But the most dangerous hurts were those in the abdomen, chest, and head.
The DownfallEmile Zola
He finished reading the paper in the warm, clear light of his abdomen.
The Velvet GloveHarry Harrison
My abdomen is swollen, and I have had flowing spells for three years.
Treatise on the Diseases of WomenLydia E. Pinkham
abdomen
- the region of the body of a vertebrate that contains the viscera other than the heart and lungs. In mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm
- the front or surface of this region; bellyRelated adjective: coeliac
- (in arthropods) the posterior part of the body behind the thorax, consisting of up to ten similar segments
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Word Origin
C16: from Latin; origin obscure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for abdomen
n.
1540s, "belly fat," from Latin abdomen "belly," of unknown origin, perhaps from abdere "conceal," with a sense of "concealment of the viscera," or else "what is concealed" by proper dress. De Vaan, however, finds this derivation "unfounded." Purely anatomical sense is from 1610s. Zoological sense of "posterior division of the bodies of arthropods" first recorded 1788.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
abdomen
(ăb′də-mən, ăb-dō′mən)- The part of the body that lies between the chest and the pelvis and encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, and pancreas.belly venter
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
abdomen
[ăb′də-mən]
- In vertebrates, the portion of the body between the thorax and pelvis, containing the stomach, intestines, liver, and other organs. In mammals, the abdomen is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm.
- In arthropods, the last, most posterior segment of the body.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
abdomen
[(ab-duh-muhn, ab-doh-muhn)]
The part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis that encloses the organs of the abdominal cavity; the belly.
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.