cecum

American  

[see-kuhm] / ˈsi kəm /

Or caecum

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

plural

ceca

1. a cul-de-sac, especially that in which the large intestine begins.

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cecum British  

/ ˈsiːkəm /

noun

1. a variant spelling of caecum

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cecum Scientific  

/ sē′kəm /

plural

ceca

1. A large pouch forming the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix and the ileum of the small intestine both connect to the cecum.

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Other Word Forms

• cecal adjective
• cecally adverb
• subcecal adjective

Etymology

Origin of cecum

1715–25; short for Latin intestinum caecum blind gut

Example Sentences

Mice possess a cecum -- a pouch in their digestive system that slows the flow of intestinal contents and helps digest carbohydrates, which may contribute to being able to better tolerate sorbitol.

From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2024

It has three parts: the cecum, the colon, and the rectum.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The main regions of the large intestine are the cecum, the colon, and the rectum.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Then, using what Oller described as a "no touch" procedure, they excised a 2-ft. section, including the cecum, a portion of the small intestine and some surrounding lymph nodes.

From Time Magazine Archive

Thirty-four years ago I was called in consultation to see my first case of what was then generally recognized as perityphlitis or typhlitis—inflammation of the connective tissue about the cecum.

From Appendicitis by Tilden, John Henry