diverticulum

[ dahy-ver-tik-yuh-luhm ]

/ ˌdaɪ vərˈtɪk yə ləm /

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noun, plural di·ver·tic·u·la

[dahy-ver-tik-yuh-luh]. /ˌdaɪ vərˈtɪk yə lə/. Anatomy.

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.

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Origin of diverticulum

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

Words nearby diverticulum

diversity, divert, diverticular disease, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, diverticulum, divertimento, diverting, divertissement, divertive, Dives

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use diverticulum in a sentence

Cross section through the base of the proboscis showing diverticulum wall and proboscis gland.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology|Various
To these may be added, according to Kupffer, in the embryonic stage, the anterior diverticulum of the gut (Fig. 166).
The Origin of Vertebrates|Walter Holbrook Gaskell
Section through the point of junction of the salivary ducts with the median oral diverticulum.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume IV (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
At this or some earlier period, the intestine gave forth a much larger diverticulum or cæcum than that now existing.
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. I (1st edition)|Charles Darwin

More ventrally another slight diverticulum probably represents the infundibulum.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4|Various

British Dictionary definitions for diverticulum

diverticulum

/ (ˌdaɪvəˈtɪkjʊləm) /

noun plural -la (-lə)

any sac or pouch formed by herniation of the wall of a tubular organ or part, esp the intestines

Derived forms of diverticulum

diverticular, adjective

Word Origin for diverticulum

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

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-tĭk′yə-ləm ]

Plural diverticula

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.