rectum

[ rek-tuhm ]

noun,plural rec·tums, rec·ta [rek-tuh]. /ˈrɛk tə/. Anatomy.
  1. the comparatively straight, terminal section of the intestine, ending in the anus.

Origin of rectum

1
1535–45; <New Latin rēctum (intestīnum) the straight (intestine)

Words Nearby rectum

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How to use rectum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rectum

rectum

/ (ˈrɛktəm) /


nounplural -tums or -ta (-tə)
  1. the lower part of the alimentary canal, between the sigmoid flexure of the colon and the anus

Origin of rectum

1
C16: shortened from New Latin rectum intestinum the straight intestine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for rectum

rectum

[ rĕktəm ]


Plural rectums recta
  1. The last section of the digestive tract, extending from the colon to the anus, in which feces is stored for elimination from the body.

Other words from rectum

  • rectal adjective

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for rectum

rectum

The outermost portion of the large intestine. Feces are stored in the rectum until they are passed out of the body through the anus.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.