hernia

her·nia

noun \ˈhər-nē-ə\

plural her·ni·as or her·ni·ae\-nē-ˌē, -nē-ˌī\

Definition of HERNIA

: 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

Examples of HERNIA

1. He was treated for hernia.

Origin of HERNIA

Latin — more at yarn

First Known Use: 14th century

her·nia

noun \ˈhər-nē-ə\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural her·ni·as or her·ni·ae \-nē-ˌē, -nē-ˌī\

Medical Definition of HERNIA

: a protrusion of an organ or part through connective tissue or through a wall of the cavity in which it is normally enclosed—called also rupture; see abdominal hernia, hiatal hernia, strangulated hernia

—her·ni·al \-nē-əl\ adjective

hernia

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Protrusion of any organ or tissue from its normal cavity. The term usually refers to an abdominal hernia, which may be a congenital disorder or acquired after birth. Tissue may protrude through the abdominal muscle at the groin (inguinal), upper thigh (femoral), or navel (umbilical); its circulation can become cut off, leading to inflammation, infection, and gangrene. If the tissue cannot be pushed back into place and kept there by a truss, surgery may be necessary. Other common hernias are hiatal hernia (protrusion of part or all of the stomach above the diaphragm) and herniated disk (protrusion of tissue from a disk in the vertebral column through its outer layer).