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acute abdomen

n.

A serious condition within the abdomen characterized by sudden onset, pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity, and usually requiring emergency surgery.surgical abdomen

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FUPARead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
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Lexical Investigations: HypochondriacHypochondriac Hypochondriac comes ultimately from the Greek word hypokhondria, which literally means “under the cartilage (of the breastbone).” In the late 16th century, when hypochondriac first entered the English language, it referred to the upper abdomen. The upper abdomen, it turns out, was thought to be the seat of melancholy at a time when the now-outdated medical theory of the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow …
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Nearby words

  1. asemic,
  2. asenath,
  3. asepalous,
  4. asepsis,
  5. aseptate,
  6. aseptic meningitis,
  7. aseptic necrosis,
  8. aseptic surgery,
  9. aser,
  10. asexual
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.