Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word ileum. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word ileum, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say ileum in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word ileum you have here. The definition of the word ileum will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofileum, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Do not confuse ileum (part of the gut) with ilium (part of the pelvis).
In modern usage, the spelling ilium always refers to the bones of the hip and pelvis whereas the spelling ileum always refers to the last part of the small intestine. To remember the different spellings of these identically pronounced words, people have come up with the following mnemonics, for example:
There is an -i- in the middle of both ilium and hip.
The two letters i in ilium look like bones whereas the -e- in ileum is squiggly like an intestine.
The intestinal obstruction called ileus affects the ileum, and both have an -e-.