kidney: Meaning and Definition of

kid•ney

Pronunciation: (kid'nē), [key]
— pl. -neys.
  1. either of a pair of bean-shaped organs in the back part of the abdominal cavity that form and excrete urine, regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, and act as endocrine glands.
  2. a corresponding organ in other vertebrate animals or an organ of like function in invertebrates.
  3. the meat of an animal's kidney used as food.
  4. constitution or temperament: He was a quiet child, of a different kidney from his boisterous brothers.
  5. kind, sort, or class: He is only at ease with men of his own kidney.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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