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abdomen

[ ab-duh-muhn, ab-doh- ]
/ ˈæb də mən, æbˈdoʊ- /
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noun
Anatomy, Zoology.
  1. the part of the body of a mammal between the thorax and the pelvis; belly.
  2. the cavity of this part of the body containing the stomach, intestines, etc.
  3. (in nonmammalian vertebrates) a region of the body corresponding to, but not coincident with, this part or cavity.
Entomology. the posterior section of the body of an arthropod, behind the thorax or the cephalothorax.
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Origin of abdomen

1535–45; (<Middle French ) <Latin abdōmen belly

OTHER WORDS FROM abdomen

post·ab·do·men, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use abdomen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for abdomen

abdomen
/ (ˈæbdəmən, æbˈdəʊ-) /

noun
the region of the body of a vertebrate that contains the viscera other than the heart and lungs. In mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm
the front or surface of this region; bellyRelated adjective: coeliac
(in arthropods) the posterior part of the body behind the thorax, consisting of up to ten similar segments

Derived forms of abdomen

abdominal (æbˈdɒmɪnəl), adjectiveabdominally, adverb

Word Origin for abdomen

C16: from Latin; origin obscure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for abdomen

abdomen
[ ăbdə-mən ]

In vertebrates, the portion of the body between the thorax and pelvis, containing the stomach, intestines, liver, and other organs. In mammals, the abdomen is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm.
In arthropods, the last, most posterior segment of the body.

Other words from abdomen

abdominal adjective (ăb-dŏmə-nəl)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for abdomen

abdomen
[ (ab-duh-muhn, ab-doh-muhn) ]

The part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis that encloses the organs of the abdominal cavity; the belly.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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