Plural of appendix; supplementary materials added to the end of a book or document. Also refers to multiple instances of the small organ attached to the large intestine.
From Latin 'appendix' (something attached), from 'appendere' (to hang upon). The anatomical meaning preceded the literary one, with both sharing the concept of something attached to a main body.
The word 'appendices' creates confusion because it has two different plurals - 'appendices' for body parts and 'appendixes' for book supplements, though both are technically correct for either meaning. This dual plural system reflects the word's journey from medical Latin into everyday English.
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