abdominal
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- abdominally adverb
- postabdominal adjective
Etymology
Origin of abdominal
Explanation
Anything abdominal relates to the midsection of your body, just below your chest and above your pelvis. Abdominal muscles are sometimes called “abs” and they’re the muscles in your abdomen. All abdominal things relate to the belly area. If your stomach hurts, you have abdominal pain. Sit-ups are abdominal exercises. Do enough sit-ups and you'll have washboard abs because the rippled muscles look like, well, a washboard. Any stomach surgery is a type of abdominal surgery. Sometimes abdominal is used as a noun that’s short for abdominal muscle.
Vocabulary lists containing abdominal
Turtles All the Way Down
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The Hot Zone
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Stuart Little
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The plank involves holding a position similar to a push-up for an extended period to work core abdominal muscles as well as the back, shoulders, arms and glutes.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
In Georgia, 31-year-old Alexia Moore went to the hospital with severe abdominal pain.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
He entered the program with a history of gastrointestinal issues and abdominal surgeries.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
These findings suggest that certain breathing patterns, particularly those involving strong abdominal muscle use, can contribute to elevated blood pressure.
From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026
The others called it “The Stretch,” but then one time when they were about to do it to him, Colin shouted, “Don’t give me an abdominal snowman!”
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
