Rectal

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈrɛk.təl/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the lower intestinal tract, this term encompasses matters related to the rectum or its surrounding areas
2. This descriptor refers to anything associated with the lower part of the digestive system, particularly the rectum itself
3. This adjective indicates any aspect related to the rectum and its functionality within the digestive system

Etymology: "Rectal" is a straightforward formation: the Latin "rectum" (the straight or upright part, from the past participle of "regere," to lead straight or rule) plus the adjectival suffix "-al." The suffix passed into English from Latin "-alis" by way of Old French "-al" and Middle English "-al," so the English word is built from materials that arrived by two separate routes. The base word matters here. "Rectum" was originally a general Latin adjective meaning "straight," and the same root gives English "rectitude" and "rectify," words that carry the sense of setting things right. The bowel sense only developed later, when the Latin term was applied to the final section of the intestine, which is essentially a straight passage at the end of the digestive tract.

Synonyms: anal, colorectal, intestinal