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The belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis. Also, the cavity of the belly, which is lined by the peritoneum, and contains the stomach, bowels, and other viscera. In man, often restricted to the part between the diaphragm and the commencement of the pelvis, the remainder being called the pelvi…

That part of a crustacean behind the cephalothorax; -- more commonly called abdomen.

Of or pertaining to the abdomen; ventral; as, the abdominal regions, muscles, cavity.

eater part of fresh-water fishes, and many marine ones, having the ventral fins under the abdomen behind the pectorals.

Examination of the abdomen to detect abdominal disease.

Relating to the abdomen and the thorax, or chest.

Irregular in the character of the tail or abdomen; as, the anomural crustaceans. [Written also anomoural, anomouran.]

A division of the Arachnida, having the abdomen annulated, including the scorpions, harvestmen, etc.; pedipalpi.

One of the larger divisions of Crustacea, so called because the thorax and abdomen are both segmented; Tetradecapoda. It includes the Amphipoda and Isopoda.

A collection of serous fluid in the cavity of the abdomen; dropsy of the peritoneum. Dunglison.

ither directly with the ear (immediate auscultation) applied to parts of the body, as the abdomen; or with the stethoscope (mediate ~), in order to distinguish sounds recognized as a sign of health or of disease.

tends downward from the breast to the thighs, and contains the bowels, or intestines; the abdomen.

roup of decapod Crustacea, including the common crabs, characterized by a small and short abdomen, which is bent up beneath the large cephalo-thorax. [Also spelt Brachyoura.] See Crab, and Illustration in Appendix.

Surg.), the operation of taking a child from the womb by cutting through the walls of the abdomen and uterus; -- so called because Julius Cæsar is reported to have been brought into the world by such an operation.

ansparent wings. The male makes a shrill sound by pecular organs in the under side of the abdomen, consisting of a pair of stretched membranes, acted upon by powerful muscles. A noted American species (C. septendecim) is called the seventeen year locust. Another common species is the dogday cicada.

Pressed together; closely connected; -- applied to insects having the abdomen separated from the thorax only by a constriction. Coarctate pupa (Zoöl.), a pupa closely covered by the old larval skin, as in most Diptera.

Relating to the abdomen, or to the cavity of the abdomen. Coeliac artery (Anat.), the artery which issues from the aorta just below the diaphragm; -- called also coeliac axis. -- Coeliac flux, Coeliac passion (Med.), a chronic flux or diarrhea of undigested food.

A severe paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, due to spasm, obstruction, or distention of some one of the hollow viscera. Hepatic colic, the severe pain produced by the passage of a gallstone from the liver or gall bladder through the bile duct. -- Intestinal colic, or Ordinary colic, pain due to distention of the intestin…

A suckerlike organ at the base of the abdomen of insects belonging to the Collembola.

One of a pair of peculiar organs on the base of the abdomen of scorpions.