MEGACOLON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does megacolon mean? 

• MEGACOLON (noun)
  The noun MEGACOLON has 1 sense:

1. an abnormal enlargement of the colon; can be congenital (as in Hirschsprung's disease) or acquired (as when children refuse to defecate)

  Familiarity information: MEGACOLON used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEGACOLON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An abnormal enlargement of the colon; can be congenital (as in Hirschsprung's disease) or acquired (as when children refuse to defecate)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("megacolon" is a kind of...):

colon (the part of the large intestine between the cecum and the rectum; it extracts moisture from food residues before they are excreted)

 Context examples 

Aganglionic megacolon is present from birth, but the symptoms may not appear until later in a child’s life.

(Aganglionic megacolon, NCI Dictionary)

Also called aganglionic megacolon.

(Hirschsprung disease, NCI Dictionary)