kidneys

Cultural

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Initial blood tests showed Roo had an acute kidney injury, and his kidneys were extremely dehydrated so doctors began searching for the cause.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Ultrasounds are also heavily relied on to diagnose cancers and check on organs such as the liver, kidneys and spleen.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

As his condition declined, his lungs, heart, and kidneys began to fail.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2026

Kidneys require gravity to function properly, and the longer people spend in space, the more their kidneys start to malfunction.

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2026

My kidneys were blowing the whistle on my body.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023