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spleen

Syllabification: (spleen)
Pronunciation: /splēn/

Translate spleen | into French | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of spleen

noun

  • 1 Anatomy an abdominal organ involved in the production and removal of blood cells in most vertebrates and forming part of the immune system.
  • 2bad temper; spite:he could vent his spleen on the institutions that had duped him
    [from the earlier belief that the spleen was the seat of such emotions]

Derivatives

spleenful

Pronunciation: /-fəl/

adjective

Origin:

Middle English: shortening of Old French esplen, via Latin from Greek splēn

spleen in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of spleen in the British & World English dictionary