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Glite Dictionary
sigmoid colon

sigmoid colon

1 6.1
An S-shaped part of the large intestine before the rectum
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪɡmɔɪd ˈkoʊlən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : colon sigmoide
  • The postmortem diagnosis was a perforated tumor of the sigmoid colon consistent with lymphoma and associated diffuse peritonitis.

Examples

  • If you hold back a bowel movement, your rectum returns the contents to your sigmoid colon.

  • The upshot: when I have my tumor surgery in July, Dr. Brown recommends removing everything in my bowel from the bottom of my sigmoid colon down, leaving me with no functioning rectum, and meaning that I will need a colostomy bag for the rest of my life.

    Blog text (16)

  • Proceed to the sigmoid colon and on to the appendix.

    Flatliners (1990)

  • I had polyps in the distal sigmoid colon.

  • He points to the source of his health concerns, the precise six-inch stretch of his sigmoid colon that is visibly distorted and inflamed.

Synonyms

sigmoid flexure
vssigmoid colon
  • Specialized
9.9

An S-shaped bend near the end of the large intestine that leads to the rectum

has identical meaning but is a different clinical term

Surface Forms

sigmoid colon singular
sigmoid colons plural

Morphology

sigmoid + colon

The term combines 'sigmoid' (S-shaped) with 'colon' (a segment of the large intestine), so the meaning — the S-shaped section of the colon — is directly derivable from the constituents. Anatomical compound naming is compositional and parallels forms in many languages, so a learner who knows both words will readily understand the phrase despite its technical register.

Etymology

Sigmoid colon comes from its shape. Sigmoid means 'S-shaped' and colon is the 'large intestine', so the name points to the S-shaped section between the descending colon and the rectum.