solar plexus

noun

so·​lar plexus ˈsō-lər- How to pronounce solar plexus (audio)
1
: a nerve plexus in the abdomen that is situated behind the stomach and in front of the aorta and the crura of the diaphragm and contains several ganglia distributing nerve fibers to the viscera
2
: the pit of the stomach
specifically : the part of the abdomen including the stomach that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of a blow to the body wall in front of it

Examples of solar plexus in a Sentence

a punch in the solar plexus knocked the air out of him
Recent Examples on the Web My solar plexus – slow rising heat, like a tea kettle on simmer. Sam McManis, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 The soundwaves vibrate my solar plexus. Liza Lentini, SPIN, 3 Mar. 2023 The place behind my solar plexus tightened. Savala Nolan, Harper's Magazine, 20 July 2021 And was that the throaty rumble of passing cars synchronizing with the nearly imperceptible vibrations in my solar plexus? Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023 The next morning, Jamie showed up and punched the manager in the solar plexus. Kerry Howley, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2022 Every so often, a performance hits you right in the solar plexus. Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 31 Jan. 2022 The device worms its way into a patient’s chest through a three-quarter-inch incision in the solar plexus. Danielle Egan, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2011 While one album could hit you squarely in the solar plexus, by the next the conviction that Björk alone understood your crisis would have passed, never to return. Anahid Nersessian, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solar plexus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from the radiating nerve fibers

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of solar plexus was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near solar plexus

Cite this Entry

“Solar plexus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solar%20plexus. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

solar plexus

noun
so·​lar plexus ˈsō-lər- How to pronounce solar plexus (audio)
1
: a network of nerves in the abdomen behind the stomach that contains ganglia sending nerve fibers to the internal organs of the abdomen
2
: the general area of the stomach below the sternum

Medical Definition

solar plexus

noun
so·​lar plexus ˈsō-lər- How to pronounce solar plexus (audio)
1
2
: the part of the abdomen including the stomach and celiac plexus that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of a blow to the body wall in front of it
not used technically

More from Merriam-Webster on solar plexus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!