plural kidneys
1
a
: one of a pair of vertebrate organs situated in the body cavity near the spinal column that excrete waste products of metabolism, in humans are bean-shaped organs about 4¹/₂ inches (11¹/₂ centimeters) long lying behind the peritoneum in a mass of fatty tissue, and consist chiefly of nephrons by which urine is secreted, collected, and discharged into a main cavity from which it is conveyed by the ureter to the bladder
b
: any of various excretory organs of invertebrate animals
2
: the kidney of an animal eaten as food
3
: sort or kind especially with regard to temperament
a nice helpful guy, of a different kidney entirely from the … Secret Police—
Paula Lecler
Paula LeclerSynonyms
Examples of kidney in a Sentence
a patient with a damaged kidney
her new boyfriend is of a different kidney than what she usually dates
Recent Examples on the Web
Adding the pig's thymus, Montgomery said, should protect the pig kidney from being attacked by the human immune system.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The woman, who was 18 weeks pregnant with twins, had spent years on dialysis and had a donor kidney.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 22 Apr. 2024
That’s a form of kidney failure that can make E. coli a fatal foodborne illness.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
And there’s more to come—researchers are studying other potential benefits of GLP-1 drugs, including lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, kidney, and liver diseases.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
If leptospirosis is not treated, kidney failure, meningitis, liver damage, and respiratory distress can occur.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
She was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure, according to the lawsuit.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
The actor had been in intensive care since he was hospitalized for liver and kidney failure the week before his death.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
Consuming too much sodium can increase your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The woman, who was 18 weeks pregnant with twins, had spent years on dialysis and had a donor kidney.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 22 Apr. 2024
That’s a form of kidney failure that can make E. coli a fatal foodborne illness.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
And there’s more to come—researchers are studying other potential benefits of GLP-1 drugs, including lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, kidney, and liver diseases.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
If leptospirosis is not treated, kidney failure, meningitis, liver damage, and respiratory distress can occur.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
She was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure, according to the lawsuit.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
The actor had been in intensive care since he was hospitalized for liver and kidney failure the week before his death.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
Consuming too much sodium can increase your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kidney.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Kidney.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kidney. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kidney
noun
kid·ney
ˈkid-nē 
plural kidneys
1
: either of a pair of oval to bean-shaped organs located in the back part of the abdomen near the spine that give off waste products in the form of urine
2
: an organ of an invertebrate animal that gives off waste
Medical Definition
kidney
noun
kid·ney
ˈkid-nē
plural kidneys
1
: one of a pair of vertebrate organs situated in the body cavity near the spinal column that excrete waste products of metabolism, in humans are bean-shaped organs about 4¹/₂ inches (11¹/₂ centimeters) long lying behind the peritoneum in a mass of fatty tissue, and consist chiefly of nephrons by which urine is secreted, collected, and discharged into the renal pelvis whence it is conveyed by the ureter to the bladder compare mesonephros, metanephros, pronephros
2
: any of various excretory organs of invertebrate animals
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