kidney

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noun kid·ney \ ˈkid-nē \

Definition of kidney

plural kidneys

1 a :one of a pair of vertebrate organs situated in the body cavity near the spinal column that excrete waste products of metabolism, in humans are bean-shaped organs about 4¹/₂ inches (11¹/₂ centimeters) long lying behind the peritoneum in a mass of fatty tissue, and consist chiefly of nephrons by which urine is secreted, collected, and discharged into a main cavity whence it is conveyed by the ureter to the bladder

b :any of various excretory organs of invertebrate animals

2 :the kidney of an animal eaten as food

3 :sort or kind especially with regard to temperament

a nice helpful guy, of a different kidney entirely from the … Secret Police
—Paula Lecler

See kidney defined for English-language learners

See kidney defined for kids

Examples of kidney in a Sentence

a patient with a damaged kidney
her new boyfriend is of a different kidney than what she usually dates

Recent Examples of kidney from the Web

Immune responses can damage the kidneys and other organs.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Pesticides could hike risk of catching a parasitic worm," 14 July 2017
In an attempt to get clean, Ellis suffered from alcohol withdrawal which resulted in a blood infection, kidney shutdown and heart complications, his family told THR.

— christina coleman, Essence.com, "Family Of 'True Blood' Actor Nelsan Ellis Reveal Cause Of Untimely Death," 10 July 2017
Methyl chloride has also caused effects on the heart rate, blood pressure, liver, and kidneys in humans.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Explosion, Fire at Eglin Air Force Base Test Center," 6 July 2017
Some severe cases may cause patients to suffer from bloody diarrhea, dehydration or kidney failure.

— Fox News, "Girl who died after contracting E. coli was cleaning dirty yard, family says," 3 July 2017
Some 1.25 million Americans have the condition, which raises the risk of heart disease, nerve damage, kidney failure and other illnesses.

— brian gormley, WSJ, "Biotech Startups’ Cell-Based Diabetes Attack," 24 June 2017
An MRI that was conducted to examine her leg also revealed a tumor on her kidney.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Despite battles, San Diego arts mover Dea Hurston still aims high," 23 June 2017
There were even discussions of selling body parts, such as livers and kidneys.

— nick bilton, The Hive, "Silicon Valley Murder Mystery: How Drugs and Paranoia Doomed Silk Road," 19 June 2017
THMs may cause liver, kidney or central nervous system problems and may increase cancer risks.

— joe marusak, charlotteobserver, "Environmentalists claim a win for Charlotte’s drinking water. Here’s why.," 19 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of kidney

Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

kidney Synonyms

Synonyms

breed, class, description, feather, genre, ilk, sort, kind, like, manner, nature, order, species, strain, stripe, type, variety

Related Words

model; sample, specimen; bracket, bunch, category, division, family, grade, group, grouping, lot, persuasion, rank (s), set, suite

KIDNEY Defined for English Language Learners

kidney

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noun

Definition of kidney for English Language Learners

: either of two organs in your body that remove waste products from your blood and make urine
: an animal kidney used as food

KIDNEY Defined for Kids

kidney

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noun kid·ney \ ˈkid-nē \

Definition of kidney for Students

plural kidneys

:either of a pair of organs near the backbone that give off waste from the body in the form of urine and in humans are bean-shaped

Medical Dictionary

kidney

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noun kid·ney \ ˈkid-nē \

medical Definition of kidney

plural kidneys

1 :one of a pair of vertebrate organs situated in the body cavity near the spinal column that excrete waste products of metabolism, in humans are bean-shaped organs about 4¹/₂ inches (11¹/₂ centimeters) long lying behind the peritoneum in a mass of fatty tissue, and consist chiefly of nephrons by which urine is secreted, collected, and discharged into the renal pelvis whence it is conveyed by the ureter to the bladder — compare mesonephros, metanephros, pronephros

2 :any of various excretory organs of invertebrate animals