intestinal colic
- noun
- /ɪnˈtɛstɪnəl ˈkɒlɪk/
- Specialized
:
cólico intestinal
- Many infants experience intestinal colic during their first few months.
Examples
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The doctor diagnosed the baby's excessive crying as intestinal colic.
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Persistent intestinal colic can be distressing for both the child and the caregivers.
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Many parents struggle to soothe infants suffering from intestinal colic during the first months.
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The baby is suffering from intestinal colic.
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Many parents struggle to soothe infants suffering from intestinal colic during the first months.
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Persistent intestinal colic can be distressing for both the child and the caregivers.
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The doctor diagnosed the baby's excessive crying as intestinal colic.
Synonyms
14
6.0
A strong pain in the belly that comes and goes, often in babies
Strong stomach pain in babies that feels like cramps
How Painful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'intestinal' (related to the intestines) modifies 'colic' (severe abdominal pain), so the combined meaning — pain originating in the intestines — is directly derivable from the parts. Although medical in register, this follows standard English composition and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Intestinal colic is a name made from intestinal (the gut) and colic (a sudden cramp). Imagine the intestines suddenly squeezing or tied in a knot, which makes a baby cry, so the phrase means 'sudden strong pain in the intestines'.