colic

[ kol-ik ]

/ ˈkɒl ɪk /

Pathology, Veterinary Pathology

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR colic ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

paroxysmal pain in the abdomen or bowels.

adjective

pertaining to or affecting the colon or the bowels.

Nearby words

coli-, colibacillemia, colibacillosis, colibacilluria, colibacillus, colic, colic artery, colicin, colicinogen, colicky, colicroot

Origin of colic

1400–50; late Middle English colike (< Middle French colique) < Latin colica (passiō) (suffering) of the colon < Greek kolikós, equivalent to kól(on) colon² + -ikos -ic

Related forms

col·ick·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for colic

And in my first memory, I am a toddler kneading that taut skin, easing my colic into sleep.
On Yom Kippur, Remember My Palestinian Mother|Samer Badawi|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But college is not like some sort of all-purpose herbal supplement that cures bunions and also colic; it teaches specific skills.
Sorry, Kids, No High School Diplomas Need Apply|Megan McArdle|February 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He had come within at least an appreciable distance of selling his soul for a colic cure.
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun
The pain of colic is relieved by gentle pressure and gentle rubbing.
The Mother's Manual of Children's Diseases|Charles West, M.D.

Individual differences are observed in the area of colic attachment to the duodenum.
The Anatomy of the Human Peritoneum and Abdominal Cavity|George. S. Huntington
In none was there colic, but the constipation was obstinate.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth
It was thought that the food and drink were poisoned, so it was all thrown overboard, but the colic remained all the same.
The Oera Linda Book|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for colic

colic

/ (ˈkɒlɪk) /

noun

a condition characterized by acute spasmodic abdominal pain, esp that caused by inflammation, distention, etc, of the gastrointestinal tract

Word Origin for colic

C15: from Old French colique, from Late Latin cōlicus ill with colic, from Greek kōlon, variant of kolon colon ²

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

Medicine definitions for colic

colic

[ kŏl′ĭk ]

n.

Spasmodic pains in the abdomen.

Paroxysms of pain with crying and irritability in young infants, due to a variety of causes, such as swallowing air, emotional upset, or overfeeding.

adj.

Relating to the colon.

Science definitions for colic

colic

[ kŏl′ĭk ]

Severe abdominal pain, often caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera, such as the intestines.

A condition seen in infants less than three months old, marked by periods of inconsolable crying lasting for hours at a time for at least three weeks. The cause is unknown.