English Reference
Noun

appendicitis

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US /əˌpɛnˌdɪˈsaɪtɪz/ UK /ɐpˌɛndɪsˈaɪtɪs/ ap·pen·dici·tis

n.a painful illness where the small tube at the end of your large intestine becomes swollen and infected. It usually needs surgery to fix.

n.inflammation of the appendix, a small, finger-shaped pouch attached to the cecum. Often requires surgical removal to prevent rupture and peritonitis.


SIMPLE

He went to the hospital because he thought he had appendicitis.

CONTEXTUAL

The doctor suspected appendicitis after the patient reported severe pain in the lower right side of his abdomen.

COMPLEX

While some cases of appendicitis can be managed with antibiotics, the standard medical protocol remains an emergency appendectomy to prevent the organ from bursting and releasing infection into the abdominal cavity.

It started with Torres, who they visited in hospital where he was recovering from an appendicitis and, although Olmo says it was just the easiest way to get there, something had started.

The Guardian· 9 Sept 2026

Some days you have appendicitis, so you’d have reflex pain or tenderness.

The Guardian· 22 Aug 2026

From appendic- + -itis.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated