kidney
[ kid-nee ]
/ ˈkɪd ni /
noun, plural kid·neys.
Anatomy.
either of a pair of bean-shaped organs in the back part of the abdominal cavity that form and excrete urine, regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, and act as endocrine glands.
Zoology.
a corresponding organ in other vertebrate animals or an organ of like function in invertebrates.
the meat of an animal's kidney used as food.
constitution or temperament: He was a quiet child, of a different kidney from his boisterous brothers.
kind, sort, or class: He is only at ease with men of his own kidney.
Origin of kidney
1275–1325; Middle English
kidenei,
kidenere (singular),
kideneres, kideneren (plural); origin uncertain; perhaps a compound based either on
nere (singular),
neres (plural) kidney (Old English
*nēore; compare Old High German
nioro, Old Norse
nȳra); or
ei (singular),
eiren (plural)
egg1, Old English
ǣg (singular),
ǣgru (plural) (by association with the organ's shape); for the first element compare dial.
kid pod (akin to
cod2)
OTHER WORDS FROM kidney
kid·ney·like, adjectiveWords nearby kidney
kiddy,
kideo,
kidman,
kidnap,
kidnapped,
kidney,
kidney bean,
kidney corpuscle,
kidney machine,
kidney ore,
kidney punch
Example sentences from the Web for kidney
British Dictionary definitions for kidney
kidney
/ (ˈkɪdnɪ) /
noun
either of two bean-shaped organs at the back of the abdominal cavity in man, one on each side of the spinal column. They maintain water and electrolyte balance and filter waste products from the blood, which are excreted as urine
Related adjectives: nephritic, renal
the corresponding organ in other animals
the kidneys of certain animals used as food
class, type, or disposition (esp in the phrases of the same or a different kidney)
Derived forms of kidney
kidneylike, adjectiveWord Origin for kidney
C14: of uncertain origin
Medical definitions for kidney
kidney
[ kĭd′nē ]
n. pl. kid•neys
Either of a pair of organs in the dorsal region of the vertebrate abdominal cavity, functioning to maintain proper water and electrolyte balance, regulate acid-base concentration, and filter the blood of metabolic wastes, which are then excreted as urine.
Scientific definitions for kidney
kidney
[ kĭd′nē ]
Either of a pair of organs that are located in the rear of the abdominal cavity in vertebrates. The kidneys regulate fluid balance in the body and filter out wastes from the blood in the form of urine. The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. Wastes filtered from the blood by the nephrons drain into the ureters, muscular tubes that connect each kidney to the bladder. See also nephron.