Bladder
/ˈblæd.ər/noun
A saclike organ that stores urine in the body, or a thin bag or pouch filled with air or gas.
Did you know?Bladder comes from Old English *blǣdre*, but its deeper Germanic root is tied to a word for a swelling or bubble-like sac—language literally named the organ for its ballooning shape.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to blow, swell, or inflate”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*blædron-
“a swelling, blister, or sac-like bubble”
Old English
English
blǣdre
“a blister, pustule, or bladder”
Middle English
English
bladder
“a blister or bag-like sac; later, the urinary organ”
Modern English
English
bladder
“the urine-storing organ; also any inflated pouch or bag”