rein

kidney

noun RAN Less Common

Origin: Latin ren/renes (kidneys)

Also means

lower back (plural)

Usage Note

rein in the singular refers to the kidney (organ); in the plural les reins commonly means the lower back or loins. Avoir les reins solides ('to have solid kidneys') is a fixed expression meaning to be financially sound or tough enough to handle difficulty. Note the final -n is nasal and not a distinct consonant.

Examples

"Le médecin vérifie les reins du patient."

Natural Translation

The doctor checks the patient's kidneys.

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