bladder

American  

[blad-er] / ˈblæd ər /

noun

1. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. a membranous sac or organ serving as a receptacle for a fluid or air.

   2. urinary bladder.

2. Pathology. a vesicle, blister, cyst, etc., filled with fluid or air.

3. Botany. an air-filled sac or float, as in certain seaweeds.

4. something resembling a bladder, as the inflatable lining of a football or basketball.

5. an air-filled sac, usually made to resemble a club, used for beatings in low comedy, vaudeville, or the like.

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bladder British  

/ ˈblædə /

noun

1. anatomy a distensible membranous sac, usually containing liquid or gas, esp the urinary bladder

2. an inflatable part of something

3. a blister, cyst, vesicle, etc, usually filled with fluid

4. a hollow vesicular or saclike part or organ in certain plants, such as the bladderwort or bladderwrack

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bladder Scientific  

/ blăd′ər /

1. A sac-shaped muscular organ that stores the urine secreted by the kidneys, found in all vertebrates except birds and the monotremes. In mammals, urine is carried from the kidneys to the bladder by the ureters and is later discharged from the body through the urethra.

2. An air bladder.

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bladder Cultural  

1. A stretchable saclike structure in the body that holds fluids. The term is used most often to refer to the urinary bladder, which is part of the excretory system. Another kind of bladder is the gallbladder.

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Other Word Forms

• bladderless adjective
• bladderlike adjective
• bladdery adjective

Etymology

Origin of bladder

before 900; Middle English; Old English blǣddre, blǣdre bladder, blister, pimple; cognate with Old Norse blāthra, dialectal Dutch bladder, German Blatter; akin to blow ²

Example Sentences

"It spread to my bladder and bowels, causing separate issues and another diagnosis of 'painful bladder syndrome'," she added.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

In April 2024, I had a minor surgical procedure to deal with patches of inflammation on the inside of my bladder.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

After three major surgeries across her bowel, bladder and reproductive system, she now hosts a podcast, called Its Not Just a Period, interviewing women who have had similar experiences.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Shares of ImmunityBio plummeted Tuesday after the Food and Drug Administration said the biotech company used false or misleading advertising to promote Anktiva, its flagship bladder cancer drug.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

“You must have a bladder like Lake Erie. I think empires rose and fell in the time it took you to pee. I could hear it the whole time.”

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman