colic

[ kol-ik ]

noun

1. Also called in·fan·tile col·ic [in, -f, uh, n-tahyl , kol, -ik],. Pathology. a common, temporary condition in which a baby who is otherwise healthy cries repeatedly, excessively, and inconsolably, without apparent cause:

   To help create more awareness about colic, the doctors are writing a book for parents with fussy babies.

2. Pathology, Veterinary Pathology. paroxysmal pain in the abdomen or bowels:

   If a gallstone blocks one of the bile ducts, it can cause sudden, severe abdominal pain, known as biliary colic.

adjective

, Anatomy.

1. relating to or affecting the colon or the bowels:

   Colorectal cancer surgeons must have a good understanding of how colic arteries can differ among people.

colic

/ ˈkɒlɪk /

noun

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

colic

/ kŏl′ĭk /

1. Severe abdominal pain, often caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera, such as the intestines.
2. 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.

Other Words From

• col·ick·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of colic¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English colike, from Middle French colique, Latin colica (passiō) “colonic (suffering),” from Greek kolikós “of the colon,” from kól(on) colon ² + -ikos -ic; colonic ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of colic¹

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

Example Sentences

I went back to work sooner than I had with my son and we muddled through the colic, the eczema, two sets of diapers.

From Time

And in my first memory, I am a toddler kneading that taut skin, easing my colic into sleep.

From The Daily Beast

But college is not like some sort of all-purpose herbal supplement that cures bunions and also colic; it teaches specific skills.

From The Daily Beast

One morning, after taking my coffee, I was seized with violent sickness, attended with colic.

From Project Gutenberg

I don't know what was the matter with it, but I think it had the colic, for it lay as quiet as a mouse; and then it died.

From Project Gutenberg

He had come within at least an appreciable distance of selling his soul for a colic cure.

From Project Gutenberg

He died of colic in the year 1430, at the age of forty-seven.

From Project Gutenberg

But I do know that I was fortunate in not being devoured during the several hours I was knotted up on the ground with the colic.

From Project Gutenberg