abdomen
UK[ˈæb.də.mən]US[ˈæb.də.mən]
n
the part of the body below the chest that contains the stomach, bowels, and other organs.
Etymology
the word 'abdomen' was directly borrowed into english from latin in the 16th century, where it referred to the belly or paunch. the latin word's origin is obscure, but it is thought to possibly derive from the verb 'abdere', meaning 'to hide or conceal', with the sense of the abdomen being a cavity that 'conceals' the internal organs. another theory suggests it may come from a root meaning 'to fatten'. over time, the term was adopted into medical and anatomical english, shedding its conjectural etymological sense of 'hiding' to become the standard, neutral term for the body region between the thorax and pelvis.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from latin. it does not contain separable morphemes in modern english spelling.
Examples
the doctor pressed gently on the patient's abdomen to check for tenderness.
certain exercises are excellent for strengthening the abdominal muscles.
the pain was localized in the lower right quadrant of her abdomen.