kidney

noun kid·ney \ ˈkid-nē \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

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

She was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a life-threatening illness that happens to a small number of people infected with Escherichia coli and can lead to kidney failure.

— kristine phillips, chicagotribune.com, "Woman was sickened by E. coli after eating contaminated romaine lettuce at Panera Bread, suit says," 17 Apr. 2018
She has been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially fatal form of kidney failure that can result from E. coli infection.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Lawsuit by woman claims kidney failure caused by E. coli in Panera salad | Miami Herald," 16 Apr. 2018
Since the outbreak began in late March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tallied a total of 35 infections across 11 states, including three cases of kidney failure.

— Fox News, "Multistate E. coli outbreak traced to romaine lettuce from Arizona," 16 Apr. 2018
But 22, including three people suffering from kidney failure, have been hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

— kristine phillips, Washington Post, "E. coli outbreak in 11 states linked to store-bought chopped romaine lettuce, CDC says," 14 Apr. 2018
Most can recover in a week, but others can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, the release says.

— kaylee remington, cleveland.com, "Boy dies after being pulled from Mill Creek Falls in Cleveland, officials say," 14 Apr. 2018
Three people have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, the CDC said in a statement.

— azcentral, "35 sickened in E. coli outbreak linked to Arizona lettuce, CDC says," 13 Apr. 2018
Three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure.

— alana abramson, Time, "Romaine Lettuce Caused An Ongoing E. Coil Outbreak, CDC Says," 13 Apr. 2018
Three of those patients developed a type of kidney failure associated with an E. coli illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can be life-threatening.

— debra goldschmidt, CNN, "Romaine lettuce to blame for multistate E. coli outbreak," 13 Apr. 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.

Origin and Etymology of kidney

Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

KIDNEY Defined for English Language Learners

kidney

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

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

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