kidney

[kid-nee]

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. 2019

Related Words for kidneys

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 kidneys

Contemporary Examples of kidneys

He became delirious, his heartbeat grew ragged, his blood teemed with the virus, and his lungs, liver and kidneys began to fail.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Dec 8-14, 2014
William Boot
December 13, 2014
Her father, her mother said on the phone, had fallen into a coma after his kidneys failed in response to a sulfa drug.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death
Patricia Pearson
August 11, 2014
She endured multiple surgeries; doctors removed one of her kidneys and other vital organs.
19 of Us Were Shot on Mother’s Day, But New Orleans Dropped the Attempted Murder Charges
Mark Hertsgaard
May 9, 2014
The same toxin that causes this “pseudomembrane” to form can also damage organs like the heart and kidneys.
Thanks to Anti-Vaxxers, Mumps Are Back. What’s Next?
Russell Saunders
March 20, 2014
PCBs have been shown to have chronically toxic effects on the thyroid, stomach, liver, kidneys, and immune system.
Did Mitt Romney Help Lake Michigan’s Polluters?
Wayne Barrett
July 29, 2012

Historical Examples of kidneys

Wipe the kidneys and slice them, put them in a stewpan with the stock and mushrooms.
The Skilful Cook
Mary Harrison
Lay the latter on the dish, place the rumps round upon the rice, the narrow ends towards the middle, and the kidneys between.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Take the kidneys out of the gravy, and cut them into six slices.
Nelson's Home Comforts
Mary Hooper
I have seen the fat from the kidneys in my water many years ago.
Erasmus and the Age of Reformation
Johan Huizinga
Hexanephric: with six kidneys, or structures serving as such.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for kidneys

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 kidneys

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.

kidneys 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.

kidneys 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.

kidneys in Culture

kidneys

A pair of organs, the principal parts of the excretory system, located above the waistline at the back of the abdominal cavity. The kidneys filter waste materials from the blood, excreting these wastes in the form of urine; they also regulate the amounts of water and other chemicals in body fluids.