intestine / intestines

[milan2003_07]

Good afternoon everyone,

In the Russian language there is one word "кишечник" ("kishechnik") meaning an organ in a human body - the tubes through which food passes when it has left your stomach. Is it "intestine" or "intestines" in English?

In the Collins Cobuild Dictionary I've found the word "intestine" with the definition above, but I've also come across "intestines" in some other sources.

Could you please give some examples with "intestine" and "intestines" (so as) to see the difference?

The following examples are from the Collins Cobuild Dictionary:

- This area is always tender to the touch if the intestines are not functioning properly
- This vitamin is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine
- Intestinal means relating to the intestines
- Your stomach is the organ inside your body where food is digested before it moves into the intestines

 

[SoothingDave]

When we learn parts of the body, we learn that there is a small intestine and a large intestine. Small or large refers to the diameter, not the length. The small intestine is longer. So "intestines" is plural, if referring to them all. Note that your one example that is singular is specifically talking about the small intestine.

 

[jutfrank]

You have two intestines—a large intestine and a small intestine.

[cross-posted]

 

[milan2003_07]

OK!

What about "rectum", "sigmoid colon", "descending colon", "transverse colon", and "ascending colon"? Are they intestines or not? If not, what are they?

In the dictionary "colon" is said to be part of your intestine above your rectum.

 

[SoothingDave]

Those are all parts of the large intestine. Google "large intestine diagram."

 

[Biopolitics]

BTW, the word information is never used in plural in English, unlike other European languages such as German (Informationen) and French (les informations)? What strikes me is that there are so many nouns in English that have no plural form, even though their equivalents in other languages are almost exclusively used in the plural form. Consider such examples as evidence, trouble, travel,, and research.

 

[jutfrank]

Consider such examples as evidence, trouble, travel,, and research.

The first and last of those four examples are not used plurally, but the other two commonly are.

 

[5jj]

there are so many nouns in English that have no plural form, even though their equivalents in other languages are almost exclusively used in the plural form. Consider such examples as evidence, trouble, travel,, and research.

We are getting away from the original question, but I will just note that there are contexts in which troubles, travels, and even evidences are possible.

(Crossposted with jutfrank.)