kidney

[kid-nee]

See more synonyms for kidney on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural kid·neys.

Anatomy. either of a pair of bean-shaped organs in the back part of the abdominal cavity that form and excrete urine, regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, and act as endocrine glands.
Zoology. a corresponding organ in other vertebrate animals or an organ of like function in invertebrates.
the meat of an animal's kidney used as food.

constitution or temperament: He was a quiet child, of a different kidney from his boisterous brothers.
kind, sort, or class: He is only at ease with men of his own kidney.

Origin of kidney

1275–1325; Middle English kidenei, kidenere (singular), kideneres, kideneren (plural); origin uncertain; perhaps a compound based either on nere (singular), neres (plural) kidney (Old English *nēore; compare Old High German nioro, Old Norse nȳra); or ei (singular), eiren (plural) egg¹, Old English ǣg (singular), ǣgru (plural) (by association with the organ's shape); for the first element compare dial. kid pod (akin to cod²)

Related formskid·ney·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for kidney

spunk, caliber, grit, stamina, courage, temperament, fortitude, bravery, position, line, place, category, kind, description, nature, brand, breed, character, strain, assortment

Examples from the Web for kidney

Contemporary Examples of kidney

The one with the fever and the rash and the kidney failure that eventually killed her?
The Dirty Secret Doctors Don't Want You To Know
Kent Sepkowitz
August 22, 2014
In 2005, DOC paid $37,244 for one coronary bypass surgery and $32,897 for one kidney transplant surgery.
Yes, Chelsea Manning Should Get Hormone Replacement Therapy on Our Dime
Brandy Zadrozny
May 15, 2014
Seeing one is especially important if you have diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease, says Dubost.
The Truth About Salt: Should You Shake the Habit?
DailyBurn
May 5, 2014
Their app, Colorimetrix, is accurate enough to monitor conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, and urinary tract infections.
New Camera-Centric Smartphone App Puts Healthcare in Your Pocket
Mihir Patkar
March 28, 2014
Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Steve Grossman passed a kidney stone during a debate Tuesday.
Most Painful Political Debate Ever
Olivia Nuzzi
March 26, 2014

Historical Examples of kidney

Cover the pan closely, and let it stew till the kidney is tender.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
Cover the fat of the kidney and the back with paper to prevent it from scorching.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
How comes it that one of his kidney should lend help to the Prelatist cause?'
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle
I satisfied my friend, however, that the case was not one of that Kidney.
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 11, June 11, 1870
Various
Put them into the pie-dish alternately with pieces of kidney.
The Skilful Cook
Mary Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for kidney

kidney

noun

either of two bean-shaped organs at the back of the abdominal cavity in man, one on each side of the spinal column. They maintain water and electrolyte balance and filter waste products from the blood, which are excreted as urineRelated adjectives: nephritic, renal
the corresponding organ in other animals
the kidneys of certain animals used as food
class, type, or disposition (esp in the phrases of the same or a different kidney)

Derived Formskidneylike, adjective

Word Origin for kidney

C14: of uncertain origin

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

Word Origin and History for kidney

early 14c., of unknown origin, originally kidenere, perhaps a compound of Old English cwið "womb" (see bowel) + ey "egg" (see egg (n.)) in reference to the shape of the organ. Figurative sense of "temperament" is from 1550s. Kidney bean is from 1540s, so called for its shape.

kidney in Medicine

kidney

[kĭd′nē]

n. pl. kid•neys

Either of a pair of organs in the dorsal region of the vertebrate abdominal cavity, functioning to maintain proper water and electrolyte balance, regulate acid-base concentration, and filter the blood of metabolic wastes, which are then excreted as urine.

kidney in Science

kidney

[kĭd′nē]

Either of a pair of organs that are located in the rear of the abdominal cavity in vertebrates. The kidneys regulate fluid balance in the body and filter out wastes from the blood in the form of urine. The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. Wastes filtered from the blood by the nephrons drain into the ureters, muscular tubes that connect each kidney to the bladder. See also nephron.