spleen

spleen

noun \ˈsplēn\

Definition of SPLEEN

1

: a highly vascular ductless organ that is located in the left abdominal region near the stomach or intestine of most vertebrates and is concerned with final destruction of red blood cells, filtration and storage of blood, and production of lymphocytes

2

obsolete : the seat of emotions or passions

3

archaic : melancholy

4

: feelings of anger or ill will often suppressed

5

obsolete : a sudden impulse or whim : caprice

Examples of SPLEEN

1. <vented her spleen and felt much better for having done so>
2. <the bill's failure to pass in the legislature was due to nothing more than partisan spleen>

Origin of SPLEEN

Middle English splen, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French espleen, from Latin splen, from Greek splēn; akin to Latin lien spleen, Sanskrit plīhan

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SPLEEN

Synonyms: angriness, birse [chiefly Scottish], choler, furor, fury, indignation, irateness, ire, lividity, lividness, mad, madness, mood [archaic], outrage, rage, anger, wrath, wrathfulness

Antonyms: delight, pleasure

Related Words: aggravation, annoyance, exasperation, irritation, vexation; acrimoniousness, acrimony, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bile, biliousness, bitterness, contempt, embitterment, empoisonment, enmity, grudge, hostility, rancor; envy, jaundice, jealousy, pique, resentment; malevolence, malice, spite, vengefulness, venom, vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; belligerence, contentiousness, contrariness, crankiness, disputatiousness, hot-headedness, irascibility, irascibleness, irritability, orneriness, pugnaciousness, pugnacity, quarrelsomeness, querulousness; blowup, flare, flare-up, outburst; chafe, dander, dudgeon, huff, pet, rise, ruffle, temper; air rage, road rage; delirium, heat, passion, warmth

Near Antonyms: calmness, forbearance, patience

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See Synonym Discussion at malice

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

Rhymes with SPLEEN

bean, clean, dean, Dean, Deane, dene, e'en, gene, glean, green, jean, keen, lean, lien, mean, mesne, mien, peen, preen, quean, queen, scene, screen, sheen, shin, sin, spean, teen, tween, wean, ween, wheen, yean