rectum

American  

[rek-tuhm] / ˈrɛk təm /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

rectums, recta

1. the comparatively straight, terminal section of the intestine, ending in the anus.

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rectum British  

/ ˈrɛktəm /

noun

1. the lower part of the alimentary canal, between the sigmoid flexure of the colon and the anus

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rectum Scientific  

/ rĕk′təm /

plural

rectums

1. The last section of the digestive tract, extending from the colon to the anus, in which feces is stored for elimination from the body.

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rectum Cultural  

1. The outermost portion of the large intestine. Feces are stored in the rectum until they are passed out of the body through the anus.

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Etymology

Origin of rectum

1535–45; < New Latin rēctum ( intestīnum ) the straight (intestine)

Example Sentences

Colorectal cancer includes cancers of the rectum, bowel and colon and is the fourth most common cancer in the UK.

From BBC

Colorectal cancer is a term for cancer originating in the colon or rectum.

From Los Angeles Times

When he arrived to see what the birds were eating, he found a dead cow, its rectum and udders torn away — classic wolf kill.

From Los Angeles Times

A Spanish-speaking detainee at California’s McFarland immigrant detention facility was struggling in May 2023 to tell a doctor, in broken English, that he sometimes bled from his rectum.

From Los Angeles Times

Emma now has an ileostomy, as well as colitis and bladder problems, and is awaiting colon and rectum removal.

From BBC