Ileum
/ˈɪl.i.əm/noun
The final section of the small intestine, between the jejunum and the cecum.
Did you know?The anatomical term ultimately comes from Greek *eileón*, a word tied to the intestine’s coiled, rolling form—proof that ancient medicine often named organs by how they looked and moved.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
eileón
“the intestine, especially the lower bowel”
Latin
Latin
ileum
“the lower bowel; the ileum”
Late Latin / Medical Latin
Latin
intestinum ileum
“the lower part of the small intestine”
16th Century
English
ileum
“the final section of the small intestine”