spleen
spleen — noun
- spleensingular
- spleensplural
1. the dark red organ in the upper left part of the body, behind the stomach, that
the dark red organ in the upper left part of the body, behind the stomach, that removes old blood cells and helps protect the body from infection
After Kwame's bicycle accident, doctors used an ultrasound to check whether his spleen was damaged.
medical context: ultrasound / damaged spleen
A swollen spleen can be a sign of infection or injury in that part of the body.
collocation: swollen spleen
When Amina's spleen was removed, her immune system had to work harder to fight infections.
The doctor told Thiago that a healthy spleen helps filter old blood cells and store platelets.
Hana felt a sharp pain in her upper left side where the spleen is located.
2. a strong feeling of anger or resentment, especially one that is kept hidden from
a strong feeling of anger or resentment, especially one that is kept hidden from other people
In the poem, the writer vents his spleen at the injustice of the war.
phrase: vent one's spleen
The senator's speech was full of spleen, attacking everyone who had voted against the bill.
collocation: full of spleen
Sofia tried to hide her spleen during the meeting, but her cold tone gave her anger away.
The critic's review of the play was written with such spleen that the actors felt deeply hurt.
Mr. Osei wrote a long letter to the newspaper, pouring out all his spleen about the new policy.
- resentment
focuses on feeling wronged or unfairly treated, more common in everyday use
- hostility
emphasises unfriendly or aggressive behaviour towards others, not just inner feeling
- bitterness
suggests long-held hurt mixed with anger, often over a past event
- wrath
much stronger and more dramatic, often implies a desire to punish
用法筆記
This sense of 'spleen' is rare in everyday conversation and is mostly found in formal or literary writing. The most common expression is 'vent one's spleen', meaning to express strong anger openly.