Murphy's sign

noun

A sign of cholecystitis, etc. identified by the patient experiencing pain when the gall bladder is obstructed on the right-hand side while they breathe out.

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Meanings

noun
  1. medicineA sign of cholecystitis, etc. identified by the patient experiencing pain when the gall bladder is obstructed on the right-hand side while they breathe out.

Origin

Named after American physician John Benjamin Murphy (1857–1916).

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Cite this entry
APA

Murphy's sign. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Murphy's%20sign

MLA

“Murphy's sign.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Murphy's%20sign. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Murphy's sign,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Murphy's%20sign.

Source: Murphy's sign on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.