ABDOMEN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does abdomen mean? 

• ABDOMEN (noun)
  The noun ABDOMEN has 2 senses:

1. the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis

2. the cavity containing the major viscera; in mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm

  Familiarity information: ABDOMEN used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ABDOMEN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

abdomen; belly; stomach; venter

Hypernyms ("abdomen" is a kind of...):

body part (any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity)

Meronyms (parts of "abdomen"):

abdominal aorta (a branch of the descending aorta)

arteria colica; colic artery (arteries that supply blood to the colon)

hypochondrium (the upper region of the abdomen just below the lowest ribs on either side of the epigastrium)

bowel; gut; intestine (the part of the alimentary canal between the stomach and the anus)

belly button; bellybutton; navel; omphalos; omphalus; umbilicus (a scar where the umbilical cord was attached)

ab; abdominal; abdominal muscle (the muscles of the abdomen)

abdomen; abdominal cavity (the cavity containing the major viscera; in mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm)

abdominal wall (a wall of the abdomen)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "abdomen"):

underbelly; underbody (the soft belly or underside of an animal's body)

Holonyms ("abdomen" is a part of...):

body; torso; trunk (the body excluding the head and neck and limbs)

Derivation:

abdominal (of or relating to or near the abdomen)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The cavity containing the major viscera; in mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

abdomen; abdominal cavity

Hypernyms ("abdomen" is a kind of...):

bodily cavity; cavity; cavum ((anatomy) a natural hollow or sinus within the body)

Holonyms ("abdomen" is a part of...):

abdomen; belly; stomach; venter (the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis)

Derivation:

abdominal (of or relating to or near the abdomen)

 Context examples 

Symptoms include: • Trouble breathing • Pain under the rib cage • Pain, swelling, or lumps in the abdomen • Weight loss for no known reason

(Mesothelioma, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

Swelling of the abdomen caused by gas in the intestines or peritoneal cavity.

(Meteorism, NCI Dictionary)

It is caused by a disorder of the smooth muscles of the abdomen and gastrointestinal tract.

(MMIH Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by linear or band-like distributions of groups of comedones, usually on the face, neck, upper arm, chest, and abdomen, that appear at birth or in childhood.

(Nevus Comedonicus, NCI Thesaurus)

The lower part of the abdomen that contains the intestines (the last part of the digestive tract), the stomach, and the liver.

(Murine Peritoneal Cavity, NCI Thesaurus)

A benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer) tumor affecting the lining of the chest or abdomen.

(Mesothelioma, NCI Dictionary)

A flat cell of mesenchymal origin that forms the superficial layer of the serosal membranes lining the body cavities of the abdomen and thorax.

(Mesothelial Cell, NCI Thesaurus)

Like a cat, White Fang bowed his hind-quarters in, and, with the feet digging into his enemy's abdomen above him, he began to claw with long tearing-strokes.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Malignant mesothelioma (cancer that forms in the lining of the chest or abdomen) that is stage II, stage III, or stage IV.

(Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma, NCI Dictionary)

A prenatal diagnostic procedure in which a small sample of amniotic fluid is removed from the uterus by a needle inserted into the abdomen.

(Amniocentesis, NCI Thesaurus)