abdomen

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

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of abdomen

1 : the part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis; also : the cavity of this part of the trunk containing the chief viscera

2 : the posterior section of the body behind the thorax in an arthropod — see insect illustration

—

abdominal

play \ab-ˈdä-mə-nᵊl, əb-, -ˈdäm-nᵊl\ adjective

—

abdominally

play \-ē\ adverb

See abdomen defined for English-language learners

See abdomen defined for kids

Examples of abdomen in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of abdomen from the Web

But immediately after the Essure inserts were placed, Leinfelder felt intense cramping and bloating in her abdomen.

— vikki ortiz healy, chicagotribune.com, "'We want to make our voices heard:' Women battle FDA over contraceptive device they say made them sick," 8 May 2018
The chief physician at the Lahore hospital where Ahsan Iqbal is being treated said the bullet fractured his right arm, then ricocheted and lodged in his abdomen.

— zaheer babar, Fox News, "Pakistan minister said to be stable after shooting," 8 May 2018
In order to treat Jackson's condition, physicians at the University of Nebraska Medical Center performed a surgery that plugged the hole in her skull using tissue from her nose and abdomen, Barnes said.

— mark lieber, CNN, "Woman's runny nose was actually fluid from inside her brain," 8 May 2018
The chief physician at the Lahore hospital where Ahsan Iqbal is being treated said the bullet fractured his right arm, then ricocheted and lodged in his abdomen.

— Washington Post, "Pakistan minister said to be stable after shooting," 7 May 2018
The gun went off once, striking both Francis and Casey Farley in their abdomens.

— leigh hedger, Indianapolis Star, "2 shot in suspected domestic dispute in Trafalgar," 28 Apr. 2018
The other went in her lower back, exited her abdomen and went into her left hand before lodging in her wrist, Wang said.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "'She was in there the whole time': Witnesses say they saw defendant exit Lake Station home where woman's body found," 27 Apr. 2018
The suit is a creamy beige with two parallel wine-colored stripes that cross over her abdomen—the red tint derived from two months’ worth of Amézquita’s menstrual blood.

— andrea alonso, Los Angeles Magazine, "This Artist Walked from Tijuana to L.A. to Make a Powerful Statement," 27 Apr. 2018
In the abdomens of male drosophila lie brain cells which produce a pleasure protein called neuropeptide corazonin, which triggers the release of sperm and seminal fluid.

— melissa healy, latimes.com, "Fruit flies help explain why a male orgasm matters," 19 Apr. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of 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.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1541

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

abdomen Synonyms

Synonyms

belly, breadbasket [slang], gut, solar plexus, stomach, tummy;

Related Words

middle, midriff, waist;

paunch, potbelly;

thorax;

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

ABDOMEN Defined for English Language Learners

abdomen

noun

Definition of abdomen for English Language Learners

: the part of the body below the chest that contains the stomach and other organs
: the rear part of an insect's body

ABDOMEN Defined for Kids

abdomen

noun ab·do·men \ ˈab-də-mən , ab-ˈdō- \

Definition of abdomen for Students

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)

Medical Dictionary

abdomen

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

medical Definition of abdomen

1 a : 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