n., pl., -na (-nə).
The section of the small intestine between the duodenum and the ileum.
[Middle English, from Medieval Latin iēiūnum (intestīnum), fasting (intestine) (so called because in dissection it was always found empty), neuter of Latin iēiūnus.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
