KIDNEY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does kidney mean? 

• KIDNEY (noun)
  The noun KIDNEY has 1 sense:

1. either of two bean-shaped excretory organs that filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them and water in urine

  Familiarity information: KIDNEY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• KIDNEY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Either of two bean-shaped excretory organs that filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them and water in urine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Context example:

urine passes out of the kidney through ureters to the bladder

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

excretory organ; urinary organ (an organ that separates waste substances from the blood and discharges them)

Meronyms (parts of "kidney"):

nephron; uriniferous tubule (any of the small tubules that are the excretory units of the vertebrate kidney)

adrenal; adrenal gland; suprarenal gland (either of a pair of complex endocrine glands situated near the kidney)

arcuate artery of the kidney (curved arteries of the kidney)

arteria renalis; renal artery (an artery originating from the abdominal aorta and supplying the kidneys and adrenal glands and ureters)

arcuate vein of the kidney; vena arcuata renis (veins that receive blood from interlobular veins of kidney and rectal venules)

renal vein; vena renalis (veins that accompany renal arteries; open into the vena cava at the level of the 2nd lumbar vertebra)

venae interlobulares renis (interlobular veins of the kidney; receive blood from the arcuate vein and empty into the renal veins)

venae renis (veins of the kidney; drain the kidney into the renal vein)

renal cortex (the cortex of the kidney containing the glomeruli and the convoluted tubules)

pelvis; renal pelvis (a structure shaped like a funnel in the outlet of the kidney into which urine is discharged before passing into the ureter)

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

urinary tract (the organs and tubes involved in the production and excretion of urine)

 Context examples 

Clavulanic acid is a beta-lactamase inhibitor, which prevents the beta-lactamase enzyme destroying penicillin; it is already used as a medicine to treat kidney infections during pregnancy.

(Widely-available antibiotics could be used in the treatment of ‘superbug’ MRSA, University of Cambridge)

This can rapidly lead to blood clots and failure of multiple organs, including the lungs, kidney, and liver.

(Electroacupuncture Reduces Sepsis in Mice, NIH)

Alagille syndrome can also affect other parts of the body, including the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, eyes, face, and spine.

(Alagille syndrome, NCI Dictionary)

It is also used to treat certain types of pancreatic cancer, a type of advanced kidney cancer, and subependymal giant cell astrocytoma in some patients, including children.

(Afinitor, NCI Dictionary)

Multiple experiments performed on human kidney cells suggested that LRRK2 tags ribosomal proteins.

(Too much protein may kill brain cells as Parkinson’s progresses, NINDS)

The researchers saw no difference in the number and frequency of predicted side effects such as high blood calcium levels and kidney stones when they compared the vitamin D and placebo groups.

(Vitamin D does not prevent type 2 diabetes in people at high risk, National Institutes of Health)

They cause the glands to secrete high levels of hormones, which can lead to other medical problems, such as kidney stones, fertility problems, and severe ulcers.

(MEN1 syndrome, NCI Dictionary)

There are two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney.

(Adrenal gland, NCI Dictionary)

Diuretic medicines prompt the kidneys to make more urine.

(Diuretic therapy for extremely preterm infants does not alleviate respiratory problems, National Institutes of Health)

It is used as a biomarker to detect damage to the kidneys caused by drugs and other agents.

(AAP, NCI Dictionary)