epididymis

[ ep-i-did-uh-mis ]

/ ˌɛp ɪˈdɪd ə mɪs /

noun, plural ep·i·di·dym·i·des [ep-i-di-dim-i-deez, -did-uh-mi-] /ˌɛp ɪ dɪˈdɪm ɪˌdiz, -ˈdɪd ə mɪ-/. Anatomy.

an elongated organ on the posterior surface of a testis that stores sperm while they mature and constitutes the convoluted beginning of the vas deferens.

Nearby words

epidermolysis bullosa, epidermophyton, epidermotropism, epidiascope, epididymectomy, epididymis, epididymitis, epididymo-orchitis, epididymoplasty, epididymotomy, epididymovasectomy

Origin of epididymis

1600–10; < Greek epididymís; see epi-, didymous

Related forms

ep·i·did·y·mal, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for epididymis

This epithelium is found lining parts of the respiratory passages, the vas deferens and the epididymis.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6|Various
Its tubules unite with the seminiferous tubules, and also form the epididymis.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour
The epididymis referred to above, consists of a mass of coiled tubes and blood vessels.
The Biology, Physiology and Sociology of Reproduction|Winfield S. Hall
These two surgeons have restored function in six such cases by uniting the vas with the epididymis by Martin's operation.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation|Austin O'Malley

British Dictionary definitions for epididymis

epididymis

/ (ˌɛpɪˈdɪdɪmɪs) /

noun plural -didymides (-dɪˈdɪmɪˌdiːz)

anatomy a convoluted tube situated along the posterior margin of each testis, in which spermatozoa are stored and conveyed to the vas deferens

Derived Forms

epididymal, adjective

Word Origin for epididymis

C17: from Greek epididumis, from epi- + didumos twin, testicle; see didymous

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 epididymis

epididymis

[ ĕp′ĭ-dĭd′ə-mĭs ]

n. pl. ep•i•did•y•mi•des (-mĭ-dēz′)

A long, narrow, convoluted tube in the spermatic duct system that lies on the posterior aspect of each testicle and connects with the vas deferens.