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cecum

or cae·cum

[see-kuh m]
noun, plural ce·ca [see-kuh] /ˈsi kə/. Anatomy, Zoology.
  1. a cul-de-sac, especially that in which the large intestine begins.
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Origin of cecum

1715–25; short for Latin intestinum caecum blind gut
Related formsce·cal, adjectivece·cal·ly, adverbsub·ce·cal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cecum

Historical Examples of cecum

  • These two occur in the small intestine; a form intermediate in size may also be found in the cecum and colon.

    Special Report on Diseases of the Horse

    United States Department of Agriculture

  • It lives in the large intestine, especially the cecum, with its slender extremity embedded in the mucous membrane.

  • One of them may occupy the cecum, another the transverse colon, and possibly a third the sigmoid flexure.

    Intestinal Ills

    Alcinous Burton Jamison

  • The latter is somewhat smaller and is found in the cecum and large intestine.

    Special Report on Diseases of Cattle

    U.S. Department of Agriculture

British Dictionary definitions for cecum

cecum

noun plural -ca (-kə)
  1. US a variant spelling of caecum
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Derived Formscecal, adjective
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 cecum

n.

variant of caecum.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
cecum in Medicine

cecum

n. pl. ce•ca (-kə)
  1. The large blind pouch forming the beginning of the large intestine.blind gut
  2. A saclike cavity with only one opening.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
cecum in Science

cecum

[sē′kəm]
Plural ceca
  1. A large pouch forming the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix and the ileum of the small intestine both connect to the cecum.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.