Meanings
nounrectum (plural recta or rectums)
- anatomyThe terminal part of the large intestine through which feces pass after exiting the colon, but before leaving the body through the anus or cloaca.
Using an alcohol enema involves placing a small tube into someone’s rectum and pouring alcohol into the colon. Because the alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, the recipient gets drunk faster.
2012 September 26, Jacque Wilson, “Experts: Alcohol enemas ‘extremely dangerous’”, in CNN
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Latinrectum intestinum
- New Latinrectum
- Englishrectum
Borrowed from New Latin rectum, clipping of Latin rectum intestinum (literally “the straight intestine”), rectum, neuter of rectus (“straight”). See right.
More words from New Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans rektum
- rektumterminal part of the large intestine
Ancient Greek πρωκτός
- πρωκτός (prōktós)terminal part of the large intestine
Arabic مُسْتَقِيم
- مُسْتَقِيم (mustaqīm)terminal part of the large intestine
Bulgarian право черво, ректум
- право черво (pravo červo)terminal part of the large intestine
- ректум (rektum)terminal part of the large intestine
Catalan recte
- recteterminal part of the large intestine
Chinese Mandarin 直腸 /直肠
- 直腸 /直肠 (zhícháng)terminal part of the large intestine
Czech konečník
- konečníkterminal part of the large intestine
Danish endetarm
- endetarmterminal part of the large intestine
Dutch endeldarm
- endeldarmterminal part of the large intestine
Estonian pärasool
- pärasoolterminal part of the large intestine
Finnish peräsuoli
- peräsuoliterminal part of the large intestine
French rectum
- rectumterminal part of the large intestine
German Rektum, Mastdarm
- Rektumterminal part of the large intestine
- Mastdarmterminal part of the large intestine
- Enddarmterminal part of the large intestine
Greek ορθό
- ορθό (orthó)terminal part of the large intestine
Hebrew כרכשת
- כרכשת (kharkéshet)terminal part of the large intestine
Hindi मलाशय
- मलाशय (malāśay)terminal part of the large intestine
Hungarian végbél
- végbélterminal part of the large intestine
Indonesian rektum
- rektumterminal part of the large intestine
Irish athán, driseachán
- athánterminal part of the large intestine
- driseachánterminal part of the large intestine
- reicteamterminal part of the large intestine
Italian retto
- rettoterminal part of the large intestine
Japanese 直腸
- 直腸 (chokuchō)terminal part of the large intestine
Korean 직장
- 직장 (jikjang)terminal part of the large intestine
Latin ānus, extālis
- ānusterminal part of the large intestine
- extālisterminal part of the large intestine
Māori tōngātiko
- tōngātikoterminal part of the large intestine
Norwegian Bokmål endetarm
- endetarmterminal part of the large intestine
Polish odbytnica
- odbytnicaterminal part of the large intestine
Portuguese reto
- retoterminal part of the large intestine
Russian пряма́я кишка́, ре́ктум
- пряма́я кишка́ (prjamája kišká)terminal part of the large intestine
- ре́ктум (rɛ́ktum)terminal part of the large intestine
Scottish Gaelic tòn, màs
- tònterminal part of the large intestine
- màsterminal part of the large intestine
Slovak konečník
- konečníkterminal part of the large intestine
Spanish recto, recto intestinal
- rectoterminal part of the large intestine
- recto intestinalterminal part of the large intestine
- recto analterminal part of the large intestine
- intestino rectalterminal part of the large intestine
- cavidad analterminal part of the large intestine
Swedish ändtarm, rektum
- ändtarmterminal part of the large intestine
- rektumterminal part of the large intestine
- pastejkökterminal part of the large intestine
Tagalog tumbong
- tumbongterminal part of the large intestine
Turkish rektum
- rektumterminal part of the large intestine
Ukrainian пряма́ кишка́
- пряма́ кишка́ (prjamá kyšká)terminal part of the large intestine
Vietnamese ruột thẳng, trực tràng
- ruột thẳngterminal part of the large intestine
- trực tràngterminal part of the large intestine
Welsh rectwm, rhefr
- rectwmterminal part of the large intestine
- rhefrterminal part of the large intestine
Cite this entry
APA
rectum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rectum
MLA
“rectum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rectum. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rectum,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rectum.
Source: rectum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.