spleen

noun \ ˈsplēn \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Definition of spleen

1 : a highly vascular ductless organ that is located in the left abdominal region near the stomach or intestine of most vertebrates and is concerned with final destruction of red blood cells, filtration and storage of blood, and production of lymphocytes

2 obsolete : the seat of emotions or passions

3 archaic : melancholy

4 : feelings of anger or ill will often suppressed

5 obsolete : a sudden impulse or whim : caprice

See spleen defined for English-language learners

See spleen defined for kids

Examples of spleen in a Sentence

vented her spleen and felt much better for having done so
the bill's failure to pass in the legislature was due to nothing more than partisan spleen

Recent Examples of spleen from the Web

Vuscan sustained a lacerated liver and spleen while Regis suffered a fractured leg, the document states.

— Washington Post, "SUV driver arraigned in crash that injured 3 pedestrians," 31 May 2018
Horses also gain significant assistance from blood stored in the spleen, an organ that offers little benefit to human runners.

— tim layden, SI.com, "2018 Kentucky Derby: Horses and Human Runners Are Not so Different," 2 May 2018
Changes in genes associated with muscle contractions around the spleen and with responses to low oxygen levels also turned up.

— The Economist, "A group of people with an amphibious life have evolved traits to match," 21 Apr. 2018
Their heart rates slow; blood is shunted into the body’s core, and the spleen contracts, releasing some of its store of oxygenated red blood cells.

— elizabeth pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Indonesian divers have evolved bigger spleens to hunt underwater," 19 Apr. 2018
The bullet went through Diane's left rib cage and diaphragm, severed a vein and artery in her spleen, and then hit several organs including her left kidney and stomach.

— CBS News, "Atlanta attorney fatally shoots wife in SUV: Accident or cold-blooded murder?," 28 Apr. 2018
The disease can be life-threatening, particularly for the elderly, people lacking a spleen, who have cancer, lymphoma or AIDS, or other serious health conditions such as liver or kidney disease.

— gregory b. hladky, courant.com, "Tick-borne Diseases In Connecticut," 6 May 2018
Clearly, Maher was venting his spleen at the president, whose falsehoods have continued to accumulate since his inauguration.

— brian chasnoff, San Antonio Express-News, "Why you can’t penalize all the ‘liars’," 2 May 2018
Indonesian divers have evolved bigger spleens to hunt underwater Some of the most exciting recent discoveries in evolutionary biology have shown how humans adapted to extreme conditions like living at high altitude.

— katie langin, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: superhuman divers, #MeToo allegations at Salk, and post-war science in Colombia," 27 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of spleen

Middle English splen, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French espleen, from Latin splen, from Greek splēn; akin to Latin lien spleen, Sanskrit plīhan

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

spleen Synonyms

Phrases

slow burn;

Synonym Discussion of spleen

malice, malevolence, ill will, spite, malignity, spleen, grudge mean the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress. malice implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another suffer.

- felt no malice toward their former enemies

malevolence suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be expressed in malicious conduct.

- a look of dark malevolence

ill will implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration.

- ill will provoked by a careless remark

spite implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments.

- petty insults inspired by spite

malignity implies deep passion and relentlessness.

- a life consumed by motiveless malignity

spleen suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice.

- venting his spleen against politicians

grudge implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction.

- never one to harbor a grudge

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

SPLEEN Defined for English Language Learners

spleen

noun

Definition of spleen for English Language Learners

: an organ located near your stomach that destroys worn-out red blood cells and produces white blood cells
: feelings of anger

SPLEEN Defined for Kids

spleen

noun \ ˈsplēn \

Definition of spleen for Students

: an organ near the stomach that destroys worn-out red blood cells and produces some of the white blood cells

Medical Dictionary

spleen

noun \ ˈsplēn \

medical Definition of spleen

: a highly vascular ductless abdominal organ of vertebrates that resembles a gland in organization but is closely associated with the circulatory system, that plays a role in the final destruction of red blood cells, filtration and storage of blood, and production of lymphocytes, and that in humans is a dark purplish flattened oblong object of a soft fragile consistency lying near the cardiac end of the stomach and consisting largely of blood and lymphoid tissue enclosed in a fibroelastic capsule from which trabeculae ramify through the tissue of the organ which is divisible into a loose friable red pulp in intimate connection with the blood supply and with red blood cells free in its interstices and a denser white pulp chiefly of lymphoid tissue condensed in masses about the small arteries