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

Derived Forms

• cecal
  adjective
• subcecal
  adjective
• cecally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ceca
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cecum

1715–25; short for Latin intestinum caecum blind gut

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cecum

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

Right after you eat, peristalsis in the ileum forces chyme into the cecum.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

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

After about twenty-four hours it becomes localized in the region of the cecum.

From Appendicitis by John Henry Tilden