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kidney

Syllabification: (kid·ney)
Pronunciation: /ˈkidnē/
Translate kidney | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of kidney

noun (plural kidneys)

  • each of a pair of organs in the abdominal cavity of mammals, birds, and reptiles, excreting urine.
  • the kidney of a sheep, ox, or pig as food.
  • temperament, nature, or kind:I hoped that he would not prove of similar kidney

The kidneys' main function is to purify the blood by removing nitrogenous waste products and excreting them in the urine. They also control the fluid and ion levels in the body by excreting any excesses. The kidneys were anciently thought to control disposition and temperament

Origin:

Middle English: of obscure origin

kidney in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of kidney in the British & World English dictionary
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