Caeca

/ˈsiːkə/ noun

Definition

The plural of caecum; tube-like pouches found at the junction of the small and large intestines, or similar pouches in other animals.

Etymology

From Latin caecum (blind), from caecus (blind). The word describes blind-ended pouches because they have only one opening to the intestinal tract.

Kelly Says

Your caeca (plural of caecum) are basically evolutionary leftovers—rabbits and herbivores have huge cecums to digest plants, but humans have a shrunken one called the appendix that seems almost useless now.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.