abdomen

ab·do·men | \ ˈab-də-mən

, -ˌdō-; əb-ˈdō-mən, ab-

plural abdomens

Definition of abdomen

1 : the part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis … well-defined reddish lesions that can appear anywhere on the body but most often on the thighs and abdomen …— Susan Logan-McCracken also : the cavity of the abdomen that is lined by peritoneum, is bounded above by the diaphragm, anteriorly by a wall of muscle and tissue, and posteriorly by the spinal column, is continuous below with the pelvic cavity, and contains many of the visceral organs and especially those involved in digestion (such as the stomach, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and intestines) : abdominal cavity Removal of the gallbladder—a pear-shaped sac in the right side of your abdomen—has little adverse effect on digestion. — The Mayo Clinic Health Letter

2 : the posterior section of the body behind the thorax in an arthropod On a nearby table was a … dish of ants that looked familiar except that they had been feeding on peach nectar and the abdomen of each was a large, swollen, translucent sac. — The New Yorker — see insect illustration

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Examples of abdomen in a Sentence

showed us a tiny tattoo on her abdomen, right next to her belly button

Recent Examples on the Web Glass fragments remained in her chest, left eye and abdomen for decades after the explosion. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "16th Street Baptist Church bomber Thomas Blanton dies in prison," 26 June 2020 Glass fragments remained in her chest, left eye and abdomen for decades after the explosion. — Fox News, "Thomas Blanton, KKK bomber of 16th St Baptist Church, dies," 26 June 2020 This much is known for certain: bullets thumped into Williams’ right arm and lower abdomen, landing him in the hospital in serious condition. — oregonlive, "Long before ‘Defund Police’ movement, Portland’s Black Panthers sought ‘community control’ of police, pursued radical ballot initiative," 25 June 2020 Jones took a step toward her and another officer popped out from over a wall and fired something that slammed into his abdomen, near his spleen. — Cory Shaffer, cleveland, "Couple shot with projectiles while photographing Justice Center damage during Cleveland protests: ‘it felt like we were just target practice’," 24 June 2020 Outnumbered, Heg was leading a charge in front of his troops when he was shot in the abdomen. — Lawrence Andrea, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Hans Christian Heg was an abolitionist who died trying to end slavery. What to know about the man whose statue was toppled in Madison.," 24 June 2020 Signs of heat cramps: Muscle pain or spasms in the abdomen, arms, or legs. — Leah Groth, Health.com, "What is Hyperthermia? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments You Need to Know," 23 June 2020 The father, 27, sustained graze wounds to the abdomen during the incident. — Ralph Ellis And Brad Parks, CNN, "Father's Day weekend violence in Chicago leaves 11 people dead, including 4 children," 22 June 2020 Figueroa fired Taser prongs into Garcia’s abdomen, the voltage causing his body to go limp. — Thalia Beaty, ProPublica, "Somebody’s Gotta Help Me”," 16 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abdomen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for abdomen

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin abdōmen "fat underpart of an animal, belly, paunch," of uncertain origin

Note: Often seen as a derivative of abdere, "to hide, conceal," i.e., "that which is hidden," based on a nominal ablaut form *dhoh₁- from the root *dheh₁- "put." However, Latin abdōmen refers primarily to a body part of animals, and more or less humorously of humans; such usage suggests something prominent rather than something concealed, so the derivation looks somewhat unlikely.

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Last Updated

29 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Abdomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdomen. Accessed 9 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for abdomen

abdomen

noun

English Language Learners Definition of abdomen

: the part of the body below the chest that contains the stomach and other organs

: the rear part of an insect's body

See the full definition for abdomen in the English Language Learners Dictionary

abdomen

noun

ab·do·men | \ ˈab-də-mən

, ab-ˈdō- \

Kids Definition of abdomen

1 : the part of the body between the chest and the hips including the cavity containing the stomach and other digestive organs

2 : the hind part of the body of an arthropod (as an insect)

abdomen

noun

ab·do·men | \ ˈab-də-mən, -ˌdō-; əb-ˈdō-mən, ab-

Medical Definition of abdomen

1a : the part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis with the exception of the back

— called also belly

b : the cavity of this part of the trunk lined by the peritoneum, enclosed by the body walls, the diaphragm, and the pelvic floor, and containing the visceral organs (as the stomach, intestines, and liver)

c : the portion of this cavity between the diaphragm and the brim of the pelvis — compare pelvic cavity

2 : the posterior often elongated region of the body behind the thorax in arthropods

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