noun
spleen
spleen
noun
1
An organ in the upper left abdomen that filters blood, recycles old red blood cells, and supports the immune system.
"Doctors sometimes remove a badly damaged spleen after severe trauma."
2
Bad temper or spite, especially when vented openly.
"He vented his spleen on social media after the decision."
How to Use Spleen
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the blood-filtering organ near the stomach, or (figuratively) anger vented openly.
Common pairings
vent one's spleen
a ruptured spleen
Word Forms
spleened past tense, spleens plural, spleens singular
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Etymology
From Old French esplein and Latin splēn, ultimately from Greek σπλήν (splḗn), "the spleen" — historically the organ was believed to be the source of bad temper and melancholy, which gave rise to the figurative sense.