abdomen

UK/ˈæb.də.mən/US/ˈæb.də.mən/

nounB2Common in everyday speech and writing · #4,505 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: abdomens

The abdomen is the formal medical word for the belly area. Abdominal pain, a swollen abdomen, examine the abdomen.

In anatomy it runs from the diaphragm to the pelvis and holds most of the digestive organs. In insects it is the rearmost of the three body sections. The Latin may come from a verb meaning to conceal, which fits an area that hides what it holds.

Definitions of abdomen

1nounabdomenThe belly area of the body.B2
“The doctor pressed gently on her abdomen to see where it hurt.”

abdomen is a body region.

Where it comes from

Latin abdomen, possibly from abdere, to conceal — ab, away, plus dare, to put.

Latin
abdōmen
Middle French
abdomen
English, today
abdomen

Built from

abdō · Latin — conceal
ab · Latin — away
-dō · Latin — put, place

First attested in 1541 as labdomen. Borrowed from Middle French abdomen as well as from its etymon Latin abdōmen, possibly from abdō (“conceal”), from ab (“away”) + -dō (“put, place”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Body & Health

Practise this word

abdomen in the wild

Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss.
Peritonitis
One part or the entire abdomen may be tender.
Peritonitis
Ascites 'bag, sac') is the abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen.
Ascites
The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal cavity.
Abdomen
In fashion, the midriff is the human abdomen.
Midriff

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the abdōmen family

abdomen abdominal

abdomen — used about once every 984 pages · #4,505 · point at the bar for the others

abdomen segment

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