kidney

[ kid-nee ]

noun

, plural kid·neys.

1. 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.
2. Zoology. a corresponding organ in other vertebrate animals or an organ of like function in invertebrates.
3. the meat of an animal's kidney used as food.
4. constitution or temperament:

   He was a quiet child, of a different kidney from his boisterous brothers.

5. kind, sort, or class:

   He is only at ease with men of his own kidney.

kidney

/ ˈkɪdnɪ /

noun

1. 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 nephriticrenal
2. the corresponding organ in other animals
3. the kidneys of certain animals used as food
4. class, type, or disposition (esp in the phrases of the same or a different kidney )

kidney

/ kĭd′nē /

1. 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.
2. See also nephron

Derived Forms

• ˈkidneyˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• kidney·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kidney¹

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) egg ¹, Old English ǣg (singular), ǣgru (plural) (by association with the organ's shape); for the first element compare dial. kid pod (akin to cod ² )

Word History and Origins

Origin of kidney¹

C14: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Initially treated in a corridor, the great-grandmother was also diagnosed with an acute kidney injury.

From BBC

Ms Campbell was told by doctors that her aunt's kidneys were not functioning properly.

From BBC

They include people with autoimmune diseases, blood diseases, cancer, kidney conditions and trauma injuries.

From BBC

The former Disney Channel child star revealed in 2017 that she had undergone a kidney transplant due to lupus nephritis, where the autoimmune disease lupus causes a person’s kidneys to fail.

From Los Angeles Times

So it needed to convince home cooks to give up their steaks, chops and roasts in favor of what it called variety meats: kidneys, liver, tongue and so on.

From Salon

Related Words

• assortment
• brand
• breed
• category
• character
• description
• kind
• nature
• quality
• strain