abdomen

Diagram showing the abdomen of an insect.

Meaning

Noun

  • The fat surrounding the belly.
  • The belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis, not including the back; or in some lower vertebrates, the portion between the cardiac and caudal regions.
  • The cavity of the belly, which is lined by the peritoneum, and contains the viscera; often restricted in humans to the part between the diaphragm and the commencement of the pelvis, the remainder being called the pelvic cavity.
  • The posterior section of the body, behind the thorax, in insects, crustaceans, and other Arthropoda.

Origin

  • First attested in 1541.

Modern English dictionary

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