Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In human anatomy, the blind pouch or cul-de-sac which is the beginning of the colon, into which the ileum opens, and to which the vermiform appendage is attached.
  • noun In zoology, any cæcal diverticulum or intestinal appendage ending in a cul-de-sac.
  • noun [capitalized] [NL.] The typical genus of the family Cæcidæ.
  • noun In starfishes, the bifurcated multilobular prolongations of the pyloric region of the stomach, the walls being glandular and secreting a digestive fluid.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A cavity open at one end, as the blind end of a canal or duct.
  • noun The blind part of the large intestine beyond the entrance of the small intestine; -- called also the blind gut.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun anatomy A blind pouch connected to the large intestine between the ileum and the colon.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the cavity in which the large intestine begins and into which the ileum opens

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin (ininum) caecum ‘blind gut’, translation of Greek τυφλόν ἔντερον.

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Examples

  • The caecum is a branch or diverticulum of the intestine, ending in a cul-de-sac, and is extremely long in many of the lower vegetable-feeding mammals.

    Darwin and the vermiform appendix - The Panda's Thumb 2009

  • The caecum is the enlarged appendix (although it would be more accurate to say our appendix is a residual caecum) of birds, and grouse regularly empty theirs, leaving small green cowpies wherever they've been, which quickly turn into small black cowpies upon exposure to air.

    grouse Diary Entry grouse 2001

  • Dorsal to the gizzard the section cuts the so-called caecum, _ce_,

    Development of the Digestive Canal of the American Alligator C. M. [Illustrator] Reese

  • The caecum is a large blind pouch that has a capacity of about seven gallons.

    Common Diseases of Farm Animals R. A. Craig

  • The atrophied end of the caecum is the famous rudimentary organ, the vermiform appendix.

    The Evolution of Man — Volume 2 Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel 1876

  • Often given the prefix "vermiform" because of its worm-like appearance, the appendix is a finger-like protrusion from a part of the bowel called the caecum.

    The Guardian World News 2011

  • These balls (caecotrophs) are formed in the blind gut (caecum) and are of vital importance to rabbits and hares, particularly in times of food shortage.32 Immediately after the balls have been excreted, they are eaten and digested for a second time in a special section of the stomach.

    Modern Science in the Bible Ben Hobrink 2011

  • These balls (caecotrophs) are formed in the blind gut (caecum) and are of vital importance to rabbits and hares, particularly in times of food shortage.32 Immediately after the balls have been excreted, they are eaten and digested for a second time in a special section of the stomach.

    Modern Science in the Bible Ben Hobrink 2011

  • These balls (caecotrophs) are formed in the blind gut (caecum) and are of vital importance to rabbits and hares, particularly in times of food shortage.32 Immediately after the balls have been excreted, they are eaten and digested for a second time in a special section of the stomach.

    Modern Science in the Bible Ben Hobrink 2011

  • These balls (caecotrophs) are formed in the blind gut (caecum) and are of vital importance to rabbits and hares, particularly in times of food shortage.32 Immediately after the balls have been excreted, they are eaten and digested for a second time in a special section of the stomach.

    Modern Science in the Bible Ben Hobrink 2011

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  • Where do you findum?

    January 1, 2010

  • Ha!

    June 25, 2014