cecum

American  

[see-kuhm] / ˈsi kəm /

Or caecum

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

ceca plural

1. a cul-de-sac, especially that in which the large intestine begins.

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cecum British  

/ ˈsiːkəm /

noun

1. a variant spelling of caecum

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cecum Scientific  

/ sē′kəm /

ceca plural

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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Other Word Forms

• cecal
  adjective
• cecally
  adverb
• subcecal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cecum

1715–25; short for Latin intestinum caecum blind gut

Example Sentences

Mice possess a cecum -- a pouch in their digestive system that slows the flow of intestinal contents and helps digest carbohydrates, which may contribute to being able to better tolerate sorbitol.

From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2024

The cecum joins the ileum to the colon and is the receiving pouch for the waste matter.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

However, in the rabbit the small intestine and cecum are enlarged to allow more time to digest plant material.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Then, using what Oller described as a "no touch" procedure, they excised a 2-ft. section, including the cecum, a portion of the small intestine and some surrounding lymph nodes.

From Time Magazine Archive

The digestive organs were double and separate as far as the lower third of the ilium, and the cecum was on the left side and single, in common with the lower bowel.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)