Main Entry: her·nia

Pronunciation: \ˈhər-nē-ə\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural her·ni·as or her·ni·ae \-nē-ˌē, -nē-ˌī\

Etymology: Latin — more at yarn

Date: 14th century

: a protrusion of an organ or part (as the intestine) through connective tissue or through a wall of the cavity (as of the abdomen) in which it is normally enclosed —called also rupture

— her·ni·al \-nē-əl\ adjective