Main Entry: valves of Kerk·ring

Variant(s): or valves of Kerck·ring \-ˈker-kriŋ\

Function: noun plural

: plicae circulares

Kerckring, Theodor (1640–1693), Dutch anatomist. Kerckring was an anatomist and physician practicing in Amsterdam. In 1670 he described the permanent transverse folds of the luminal surface of the small intestine. Although they were previously described by Gabriele Falloppio, they are now sometimes called the valves of Kerckring.