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colic

[ kol-ik ]
/ ˈkɒl ɪk /
Pathology, Veterinary Pathology
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noun

paroxysmal pain in the abdomen or bowels.

adjective

pertaining to or affecting the colon or the bowels.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM colic

col·ick·y, adjective

Words nearby colic

coli-, colibacillemia, colibacillosis, colibacilluria, colibacillus, colic, colic artery, colicin, colicinogen, colicky, colicroot
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to colic

bellyache, gripe, pain, stomachache, enteralgia

Example sentences from the Web for colic

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

Medical 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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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