kidney

noun

kid·ney | \ˈkid-nē

plural kidneys

Definition of kidney

1a : 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

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 on the Web

But health issues that included regular kidney dialysis were limiting. — Sam Mellinger And Sam Mcdowell, kansascity, "Bud Lathrop, Ray South coaching legend and ‘One of the richest men in Raytown,’ dies at 82," 12 July 2018 Her mother is a nurse in the kidney dialysis unit at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. — Peter Van Dyken, New York Times, "Christine Kim, Adam Fetcher," 24 June 2018 Patients with more serious conditions might need a breathing tube or kidney dialysis. — Natalie Stone, PEOPLE.com, "What Is Sepsis? The Frightening Condition That Killed Chicago Fire Actress DuShon Monique Brown," 31 May 2018 The new law allows Medicare to cover telemedicine services for people who have had a stroke and those who get kidney dialysis, either at home or at a dialysis facility. — Steven Findlay, chicagotribune.com, "Hoping to see your doctor via telemedicine? Here's a quick guide," 22 May 2018 The new law allows Medicare to cover telemedicine services for people who have had a stroke and those who get kidney dialysis, either at home or at a dialysis facility. — Steven Findlay, Washington Post, "Hoping To See Your Doctor Via Telemedicine? Here’s A Quick Guide.," 9 May 2018 The facility had dirty sterile storage areas and was regularly running out of critical supplies needed for surgeries and other procedures, including patches to seal blood vessels and tubes for kidney dialysis. — Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY, "Veterans Affairs failures go beyond ousted secretary David Shulkin," 29 Mar. 2018 Debates over the cost of kidney dialysis and the rights of consumers to keep their information private are both addressed in likely ballot propositions. — John Myers, latimes.com, "There's a season for California's 2018 ballot initiatives, and this is it," 21 Jan. 2018 The drug subsidiary focuses on finding treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders; blood cancers; and kidney, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases. — BostonGlobe.com, "The week in business," 13 July 2018

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.

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Last Updated

18 Oct 2018

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The first known use of kidney was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for kidney

kidney

noun

English Language Learners Definition of kidney

: either of two organs in your body that remove waste products from your blood and make urine

: an animal kidney used as food

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

kidney

noun

kid·ney | \ˈkid-nē

plural kidneys

Kids Definition of kidney

: 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

kidney

noun

kid·ney | \ˈkid-nē

plural kidneys

Medical Definition of kidney

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