abdominal cavity

noun

plural abdominal cavities

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

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

—Matt Clark

Most hernias can be pushed back into the abdominal cavity.

—Fred Cicetti

Examples of abdominal cavity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The baby was soon diagnosed with giant omphalocele, a birth defect of the abdominal wall, in which abdominal contents protrude into a thin-walled sac outside of the abdominal cavity, according to the NIH. —Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024

The male deposits a package of sperm into the female’s abdominal cavity before scuttling off. —Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024

The small intestines move around the abdominal cavity freely, like snakes in a bag. —Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 10 Jan. 2024

Normally this causes fever and abdominal pain that is initially felt in the region around the belly button but then moves to the right lower quadrant as the infection and inflammation spread to the highly sensitive lining of the abdominal cavity known as the peritoneum. —Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 10 Jan. 2024

The abdominal cavity is the largest hollow space, containing the greater part of the digestive tract, liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and adrenal glands. —Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Dec. 2023

According to the Cleveland Clinic, visceral fat is belly fat found deep within your abdominal cavity. —Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023

Using a specialized appendage near his mouth called a pedipalp, the male spider reached forward and carefully slid a packet of sperm into the female’s abdominal cavity. —Katie Weeman, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023

The fluid from the ovarian cyst can irritate after it's released into your abdominal cavity and before your body absorbs it.3 How long the symptoms of an ovarian cyst rupture last won't be the same for everyone. —Colleen Murphy, Health, 18 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined above

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