bladder

American  

[blad-er] / ˈblæd ər /

noun

1. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. a membranous sac or organ serving as a receptacle for a fluid or air.

   2. urinary bladder.

2. Pathology. a vesicle, blister, cyst, etc., filled with fluid or air.

3. Botany. an air-filled sac or float, as in certain seaweeds.

4. something resembling a bladder, as the inflatable lining of a football or basketball.

5. an air-filled sac, usually made to resemble a club, used for beatings in low comedy, vaudeville, or the like.

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bladder British  

/ ˈblædə /

noun

1. anatomy a distensible membranous sac, usually containing liquid or gas, esp the urinary bladder

2. an inflatable part of something

3. a blister, cyst, vesicle, etc, usually filled with fluid

4. a hollow vesicular or saclike part or organ in certain plants, such as the bladderwort or bladderwrack

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bladder Scientific  

/ blăd′ər /

1. A sac-shaped muscular organ that stores the urine secreted by the kidneys, found in all vertebrates except birds and the monotremes. In mammals, urine is carried from the kidneys to the bladder by the ureters and is later discharged from the body through the urethra.

2. An air bladder.

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bladder Cultural  

1. A stretchable saclike structure in the body that holds fluids. The term is used most often to refer to the urinary bladder, which is part of the excretory system. Another kind of bladder is the gallbladder.

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Other Word Forms

• bladderless adjective
• bladderlike adjective
• bladdery adjective

Etymology

Origin of bladder

before 900; Middle English; Old English blǣddre, blǣdre bladder, blister, pimple; cognate with Old Norse blāthra, dialectal Dutch bladder, German Blatter; akin to blow ²

Example Sentences

It felt as if a boxer had used my bladder as a punching bag.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

Pelvic floor muscles are a sling-like layer of muscles spanning the bottom of the pelvis, crucial for supporting the bladder, bowel, and uterus.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

“It’s approved for bladder cancer, but it actually can treat all cancers.”

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

George says issues with his bladder have been the "most annoying" as he sometimes has to get up four or five times a night to use the toilet - a problem known as nocturia.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Something pushed fluids into my bladder, and I rushed to the toilet.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie