kidney

noun

kid·​ney ˈkid-nē How to pronounce kidney (audio)
plural kidneys
1
a
: one of a pair of vertebrate organs situated in the body cavity near the spinal column that excrete waste products of metabolism, in humans are bean-shaped organs about 4¹/₂ inches (11¹/₂ centimeters) long lying behind the peritoneum in a mass of fatty tissue, and consist chiefly of nephrons by which urine is secreted, collected, and discharged into a main cavity from which it is conveyed by the ureter to the bladder
b
: any of various excretory organs of invertebrate animals
2
: the kidney of an animal eaten as food
3
: sort or kind especially with regard to temperament
a nice helpful guy, of a different kidney entirely from the … Secret PolicePaula Lecler

Examples of kidney in a Sentence

a patient with a damaged kidney her new boyfriend is of a different kidney than what she usually dates
Recent Examples on the Web The donor kidney initially functioned well, but Slayman started to go into kidney failure after years of living with diabetes. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024 Our hope is that this transplant approach will offer a lifeline to millions of patients worldwide who are suffering from kidney failure. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024 This depends on absorption through the intestines and excretion (elimination) through the kidneys. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 If the kidneys, which process urine, do not properly develop, the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus will be low, since urine is a component of the fluid. Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 Boss, the Detroit rapper who became one of the first women to sign to Def Jam Recordings, has died of kidney failure, The Detroit News reports, citing a family spokesperson. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2024 The ability to match the kidney to a recipient is important, as high-risk kidneys need to go into patients who can tolerate the slow initial function. Joshua Mezrich, STAT, 2 Mar. 2024 Lead can cause long-term problems in adults, including greater risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney damage. Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 Morita died in 2005 at age 73 due to kidney failure. Sarah Weldon, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kidney.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of kidney was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near kidney

Cite this Entry

“Kidney.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kidney. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kidney

noun
kid·​ney ˈkid-nē How to pronounce kidney (audio)
plural kidneys
1
: either of a pair of oval to bean-shaped organs located in the back part of the abdomen near the spine that give off waste products in the form of urine
2
: an organ of an invertebrate animal that gives off waste

Medical Definition

kidney

noun
kid·​ney ˈkid-nē How to pronounce kidney (audio)
plural kidneys
1
: one of a pair of vertebrate organs situated in the body cavity near the spinal column that excrete waste products of metabolism, in humans are bean-shaped organs about 4¹/₂ inches (11¹/₂ centimeters) long lying behind the peritoneum in a mass of fatty tissue, and consist chiefly of nephrons by which urine is secreted, collected, and discharged into the renal pelvis whence it is conveyed by the ureter to the bladder compare mesonephros, metanephros, pronephros
2
: any of various excretory organs of invertebrate animals

More from Merriam-Webster on kidney

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