Kidney Definition

kĭdnē

kidneys

noun

Either of a pair of glandular organs in the upper abdominal cavity of vertebrates, which separate water and waste products of metabolism from the blood and excrete them as urine through the bladder.

Webster's New World

The kidney of an animal, used as food.

Webster's New World

An excretory organ of certain invertebrates.

American Heritage Medicine

Disposition; temperament.

Webster's New World

Class; kind; sort.

Persons of the wrong kidney.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
uremia
nephrosis
glomerulonephritis
urinary organ
abdominal gland
excretory organ

Other Word Forms of Kidney

Noun

Singular:

kidney

Plural:

kidneys

Origin of Kidney

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”).

From Wiktionary
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.

From Wiktionary
Middle English kidenei

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition