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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
From the M-W Editors
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
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The prions also sweep through lymph nodes and the spleen.
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He was born with nine congenital heart defects, two left lungs, and five spleens.
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Ablation of 2 spots on liver, removed spleen and gallbladder.
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Marc’s injuries included a concussion, four fractured ribs and a lacerated spleen, according to the arrest warrant.
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This time, against Louisiana State University in a TD Ameritrade Park stadium that will be dominated by fans in purple screaming for the Beavers' spleens.
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Another surgeon removed Ms. Williams’s spleen, which had ruptured and was also bleeding copiously.
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Meanwhile, the sandflies that host parasites that cause leishmaniasis, some varieties of which cause skin lesions or spleen and liver damage, are showing up in north Texas.
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Doctors concluded Piazza suffered from multiple traumatic brain injuries, including a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen.
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
Synonym Discussion of spleen
Other Anatomy Terms
SPLEEN Defined for English Language Learners
spleen
playDefinition of spleen for English Language Learners
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: an organ located near your stomach that destroys worn-out red blood cells and produces white blood cells
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: feelings of anger
SPLEEN Defined for Kids
spleen
playDefinition 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
playMedical 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
Learn More about spleen
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See words that rhyme with spleen Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for spleen Spanish Central: Translation of spleen Nglish: Translation of spleen for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of spleen for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spleen
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