ileum

Via Medieval Latin from Latin ilia.

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪliəm

ileum (plural ilea)

1. (anatomy) The last, and usually the longest, division of the small intestine; the part between the jejunum and large intestine.

Do not confuse ileum (part of the gut) with ilium (part of the pelvis).

In modern usage, the spelling ilium always refers to the bones of the hip and pelvis whereas the spelling ileum always refers to the last part of the small intestine. To remember the different spellings of these identically pronounced words, people have come up with the following mnemonics, for example:

• There is an -i- in the middle of both ilium and hip.
• The two letters i in ilium look like bones whereas the -e- in ileum is squiggly like an intestine.
• The intestinal obstruction called ileus affects the ileum, and both have an -e-.

• mulie

• IPA^(key): [ˈɪlɛu̯m]

ileum n

1. ileum (the last, and usually the longest, division of the small intestine)

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈiː.ɫe.ũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈiː.le.um]

īleum n (genitive īleī); second declension

1. alternative form of īle

Second-declension noun (neuter).

• → English: ileum
• → Italian: ileo

ileum (definite accusative ileumu, plural ileumlar)

1. ileum