variants
or chiefly British caecum
plural ceca or chiefly British caeca
ˈsē-kə 
: a cavity open at one end (such as the blind end of a duct)
especially
: the blind pouch at the beginning of the large intestine into which the ileum opens from one side and which is continuous with the colon
Examples of caecal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Hookworms stick to the wall of the small intestine and suck blood, posing a serious threat; roundworms are typically seen in puppies but adult dogs can get them too; whipworms live in the cecum and can be quite hard to diagnose; and tapeworms, which are typically carried by fleas.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
This is the right side of the colon, which extends upward from the cecum.
—Cristina Mutchler, Health, 19 Oct. 2024
The appendix is closed at one end and attached at the other end to the cecum, the pouchlike beginning of the large intestine into which the small intestine empties its contents.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2022
Dangling off the cecum, where the colon begins, the appendix is a hollow tube that secretes a fair amount of mucus.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Perhaps parallel blocks of longitudinal muscle in the cecum were responsible.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Hookworms stick to the wall of the small intestine and suck blood, posing a serious threat; roundworms are typically seen in puppies but adult dogs can get them too; whipworms live in the cecum and can be quite hard to diagnose; and tapeworms, which are typically carried by fleas.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
This is the right side of the colon, which extends upward from the cecum.
—Cristina Mutchler, Health, 19 Oct. 2024
The appendix is closed at one end and attached at the other end to the cecum, the pouchlike beginning of the large intestine into which the small intestine empties its contents.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2022
Dangling off the cecum, where the colon begins, the appendix is a hollow tube that secretes a fair amount of mucus.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Caecal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caecal. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
