abdominal cavity

noun

plural abdominal cavities

: 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) : abdomen sense 1b

Most hernias can be pushed back into the abdominal cavity.

—Fred Cicetti

He makes a half-inch incision in the navel and inserts a laparoscope, a flexible optical device for inspecting the abdominal cavity.

—Matt Clark

Examples of abdominal cavity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the man’s case, the worm’s final destination was apparently his abdominal cavity. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

Deep abdominal breathing creates a pressure variation between the thoracic and abdominal cavities that actively moves lymph toward the heart, a mechanism clinically referred to as the thoraco-abdominal pump. — Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2026

Deep abdominal breathing creates a pressure difference between the chest and abdominal cavities that actively moves lymph toward the heart. — Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026

Amniotic fluid will flood the abdominal cavity, and the team will have scant seconds to deliver the baby before the mother’s heart failure also kills the fetus. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abdominal cavity

• concavity
• depravity
• gravity
• intracavity
• microgravity
• supergravity

Medical Definition

abdominal cavity

noun

: the cavity of the abdomen (see abdomen sense 1a) 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) : abdomen sense 1b