abdominal
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of abdominal
Explanation
Anything abdominal relates to the midsection of your body, just below your chest and above your pelvis. Abdominal muscles are sometimes called “abs” and they’re the muscles in your abdomen. All abdominal things relate to the belly area. If your stomach hurts, you have abdominal pain. Sit-ups are abdominal exercises. Do enough sit-ups and you'll have washboard abs because the rippled muscles look like, well, a washboard. Any stomach surgery is a type of abdominal surgery. Sometimes abdominal is used as a noun that’s short for abdominal muscle.
Vocabulary lists containing abdominal
Turtles All the Way Down
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The Hot Zone
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Stuart Little
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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.
She underwent a further eight abdominal surgeries to remove the infection, but, months later, she noticed a lump developing in her stomach, which was later confirmed to be a hernia.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Seeded No. 16 in Australia, she won two matches before withdrawing because of an abdominal injury suffered during her three-set victory against Sorana Cîrstea.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Visceral fat is body fat that lines the abdominal walls and surrounds and protects the internal organs.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Common symptoms include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and other complications that can significantly affect daily life.
From Science Daily • May 9, 2026
Then he developed abdominal pain, and that made him think that he might have typhoid fever, so he gave himself a course of antibiotic pills, but that had no effect on his illness.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.