spleen
See also: Spleen
English
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Etymology
From Middle English splene, splen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman espleen and Old French esplein, esplen, from Latin splēn (“milt”), from Ancient Greek σπλήν (splḗn, “the spleen”). Partially displaced the native English term milt.
Pronunciation
Noun
spleen (countable and uncountable, plural spleens)
- (anatomy, immunology) In vertebrates, including humans, a ductless vascular gland, located in the left upper abdomen near the stomach, which destroys old red blood cells, removes debris from the bloodstream, acts as a reservoir of blood, and produces lymphocytes.
- (archaic, except in the set phrase "to vent one's spleen") A bad mood; spitefulness.
- (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- In noble minds some dregs remain, / Not yet purged off, of spleen and sour disdain.
- 1843, “A Voice from Trinidad”, in Colonial Magazine and Commercial-maritime Journal, page 465:
- Too many, however, who might take an honourable stand, fear the petty spleen of the plantocracy; preferring the most disgusting adulation, to the blessing of him ready to perish.
- (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (obsolete, rare) A sudden motion or action; a fit; a freak; a whim.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- A thousand spleens bear her a thousand ways.
- Brief as the lightning in the collied night; That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and Earth
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (obsolete) Melancholy; hypochondriacal affections.
- (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Bodies changed to various forms by spleen.
- (Can we date this quote by Wordsworth and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- There is a luxury in self-dispraise: / And inward self-disparagement affords / To meditative spleen a grateful feast.
- (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- A fit of immoderate laughter or merriment.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Thy silly thought enforces my spleen.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
Translations
organ
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mood
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Verb
spleen (third-person singular simple present spleens, present participle spleening, simple past and past participle spleened)
- (obsolete, transitive) To dislike.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Hacket to this entry?)
Anagrams
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English spleen in the 19th century.
Pronunciation
Noun
spleen m (plural spleens)
- bad mood, melancholy
- J’ai le spleen.
- (please add an English translation of this usage example)
Synonyms
Further reading
- “spleen”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/iːn
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Anatomy
- en:Immunology
- English terms with archaic senses
- Requests for date/Alexander Pope
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with rare senses
- Requests for date/Shakespeare
- Requests for date/Wordsworth
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- Requests for quotations/Bishop Hacket
- French terms borrowed from English
- French terms derived from English
- French 1-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- French terms with usage examples