spleen
pronunciation
How to pronounce spleen in British English:
UK [spliːn]
How to pronounce spleen in American English:
US [spliːn]
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- Noun:
- a large dark-red oval organ on the left side of the body between the stomach and the diaphragm; produces cells involved in immune responses
- a feeling of resentful anger
Word Origin
- spleen
- spleen: [13] Spleen comes via Old French esplen and Latin splēn from Greek splén, which may have been related to Latin liēn ‘spleen’ and Greek splágkhnon ‘entrails’ (source of English splanchnic ‘of the viscera’ [17]). In medieval physiology many internal organs were held to be the seat of a particular emotion, and the spleen was no exception. It had several conflicting states of mind attributed to it, but the one which survives is ‘moroseness’ or ‘bad temper’, in the derived adjective splenetic [16].
- spleen (n.)
- c. 1300, from Old French esplen, from Latin splen, from Greek splen "the milt, spleen," from PIE *spelgh- "spleen, milt" (cognates: Sanskrit plihan-, Avestan sperezan, Armenian p'aicaln, Latin lien, Old Church Slavonic slezena, Lithuanian blužnis, Old Prussian blusne, Old Irish selg "spleen"). Regarded in medieval physiology as the seat of morose feelings and bad temper. Hence figurative sense of "violent ill-temper" (1580s, implied in spleenful); and thence spleenless "free from anger, ill-humor, malice, or spite" (1610s).
Example
- 1. Opsi is a result of not having a spleen to fight certain bacterial infections .
- 2. The spleen helps the body identify and kill bacteria .
- 3. They are taking up knife and cudgel to vent their spleen directly on doctors , since they cannot do it through the ballot box .
- 4. It is important that you tell your physician or any physician that is covering for your doctor that you had your spleen removed .
- 5. You 'll never be a member of the innard circle if the likes of brains in black butter , uzbek boiled spleen or fujianese pig heart make you squirm .