Kidney

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈkɪdni/

Origin

From Middle English kednei, kidenei (""), from earlier kidnēre, kidenēre ("kidney"). Of obscure origin and formation. Probably a compound consisting of Middle English *kid, *quid ("belly, womb"), from Old English cwiþ, cwiþa ("belly, womb, stomach") + Middle English nēre ("kidney"), from Old English *nēora ("kidney"), from Proto-Germanic *neurô ("kidney"), from Proto-Indo-European *negʷh-r- ("kidney"). If so, then related to Scots nere, neir ("kidney"), Dutch nier ("kidney"), German Niere ("kidney"), Danish nyre ("kidney"), Swedish njure ("kidney").

Alternate etymology traces the first element to Old English cēod, codd ("sack, scrotum"), from Proto-Germanic *keudō ("sack") as the terms for testicle and kidney were often interchangeable in Germanic (compare Old High German nioro ("kidney", also "testicle"), Old Swedish vig-niauri ("testicle"). More at codpiece.

Full definition of kidney

Noun

1. An organ in the body that filters the blood, producing urine.
• 2013-06-01, A better waterworks, An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.
2. This organ (of an animal) cooked as food.
3. (figuratively) Constitution, temperament, nature.
• L'Estrangemillions in the world of this man's kidney
• BurnsYour poets, spendthrifts, and other fools of that kidney, pretend, forsooth, to crack their jokes on prudence.
• 1920, w, A Cooking Egg, I shall not want Honour in Heaven
    For I shall meet Sir Philip Sidney
  And have talk with Coriolanus
    And other heroes of that kidney.
4. (obsolete, slang) A waiter.

Synonyms

• nephros
• ren

Derived terms