First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
hernia
noun her·nia \ˈhər-nē-ə\
medical : a painful condition in which an organ (such as the intestine) pushes through the muscles that are around it
plural her·ni·as or her·ni·ae\-nē-ˌē, -nē-ˌī\
Full Definition of HERNIA
: a protrusion of an organ or part (as the intestine) through connective tissue or through a wall of the cavity (as of the abdomen) in which it is normally enclosed —called also rupture
— her·ni·al \-nē-əl\ adjective
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Origin of HERNIA
Latin — more at yarn
Medical Dictionary
hernia
noun her·nia \ˈhər-nē-ə\
plural her·ni·as or her·ni·ae \-nē-ˌē, -nē-ˌī\
Medical Definition of HERNIA
: a protrusion of an organ or part through connective tissue or through a wall of the cavity in which it is normally enclosed—called also rupture; see abdominal hernia, hiatal hernia, strangulated hernia
—her·ni·al \-nē-əl\ adjective
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