rectal

[ rek-tl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or for the rectum.

rectal

/ ˈrɛktəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the rectum

Derived Forms

• ˈrectally, adverb

Other Words From

• rectal·ly adverb
• post·rectal adjective
• pre·rectal adjective
• sub·rectal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rectal¹

First recorded in 1870–75; rect(um) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum, both of which are part of the large intestine, and can also be referred to as colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where it originated.

From Los Angeles Times

Without calling for an interpreter or ensuring his patient understood what he was about to do, the doctor proceeded with a rectal exam that shocked and traumatized the man, he recalled in an interview with The Times.

From Los Angeles Times

The digital rectal exam, or DRE, has long been used to screen for signs of prostate cancer—the most common non-skin cancer in men, killer of over 30,000 a year.

From Slate

Nobody likes a rectal exam, and yet there’s also something oddly reassuring about it.

From Slate

That jocular sympathy expressed by patients is illustrative: The digital rectal exam just plain makes men nervous.

From Slate

Related Words

• abdominal