diverticulum

[ dahy-ver-tik-yuh-luhm ]

noun,plural di·ver·tic·u·la [dahy-ver-tik-yuh-luh]. /ˌdaɪ vərˈtɪk yə lə/. Anatomy.
  1. a blind, tubular sac or process branching off from a canal or cavity, especially an abnormal, saclike herniation of the mucosal layer through the muscular wall of the colon.

Origin of diverticulum

1
1640–50; <Latin, variant of dēverticulum byway, tributary, means of escape, equivalent to dēverti- (combining form of dēvertere, equivalent to dē-de- + vertere to turn) + -culum-cule2

Other words from diverticulum

  • di·ver·tic·u·lar, adjective

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How to use diverticulum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for diverticulum

diverticulum

/ (ˌdaɪvəˈtɪkjʊləm) /


nounplural -la (-lə)
  1. any sac or pouch formed by herniation of the wall of a tubular organ or part, esp the intestines

Origin of diverticulum

1
C16: from New Latin, from Latin dēverticulum by-path, from dēvertere to turn aside, from vertere to turn

Derived forms of diverticulum

  • diverticular, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for diverticulum

diverticulum

[ dī′vûr-tĭkyə-ləm ]


Plural diverticula
  1. A pouch or sac branching out from a portion of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the large intestine. A diverticulum can occur as a normal structure, or it can be caused by a hernia.

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