rectal

[rek-tl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or for the rectum.

rectal

/ ˈrɛktəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the rectum

Other Word Forms

• rectally adverb
• postrectal adjective
• prerectal adjective
• subrectal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rectal¹

First recorded in 1870–75; rect(um) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

There, American health inspectors typically forced aspiring braceros to strip naked before subjecting them to blood tests, X-rays, rectal exams and a final dusting of their bodies and clothes with DDT.

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“At no time before the Dr. Bomba Sr. experience did any other doctor perform a rectal examination on me, including in high school,” Carter said.

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She said she felt "fobbed off" when she told doctors about her constipation and rectal bleeding.

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As it turned out, several patients did have various signs, including rectal bleeding and weight loss.

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Osinoff denied that Cox had attempted to examine her uterus rectally, saying he had told the patient that he could do such an exam, which she declined.

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Related Words

• abdominal