Definition of kidney
kidneys
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 bladderb : 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
People Are Reading
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
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Immune responses can damage the kidneys and other organs.
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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.
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Methyl chloride has also caused effects on the heart rate, blood pressure, liver, and kidneys in humans.
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Some severe cases may cause patients to suffer from bloody diarrhea, dehydration or kidney failure.
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Some 1.25 million Americans have the condition, which raises the risk of heart disease, nerve damage, kidney failure and other illnesses.
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An MRI that was conducted to examine her leg also revealed a tumor on her kidney.
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There were even discussions of selling body parts, such as livers and kidneys.
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THMs may cause liver, kidney or central nervous system problems and may increase cancer risks.
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
KIDNEY Defined for English Language Learners
kidney
playDefinition of kidney for English Language Learners
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: either of two organs in your body that remove waste products from your blood and make urine
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: an animal kidney used as food
KIDNEY Defined for Kids
kidney
playDefinition of kidney for Students
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
playMedical Definition of kidney
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
Illustration of kidney
Learn More about kidney
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See words that rhyme with kidney Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for kidney Spanish Central: Translation of kidney Nglish: Translation of kidney for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of kidney for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kidney
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