1
: an attack of acute abdominal pain localized in a hollow organ and often caused by spasm, obstruction, or twisting
2
: a condition marked by recurrent episodes of prolonged and uncontrollable crying and irritability in an otherwise healthy infant that is of unknown cause and usually subsides after three to four months of age
: of or relating to colic : colicky
colic crying
: of or relating to the colon
colic lymph nodes
Examples of colic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura C. Morel, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2024
The intermittent pain, called renal colic, is caused by spasms as the walls of the renal pelvis are stretched.5
The pain may be dull, like a back strain, or intense, like a kidney punch.
—Jay N. Yepuri, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2024
Staff Author, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022
Companies often suggest that common infant adaptations such as fussiness, colic or short nighttime sleep duration are signs of breastfeeding issues that formula can fix.
—Janelle Chavez, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for colic 
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Noun
Another, Alice Payne, who stayed with Brehon Family Services in Tallahassee, appreciated the help employees gave during her infant daughter’s bouts of colic in 2014.
—Laura C. Morel, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2024
The intermittent pain, called renal colic, is caused by spasms as the walls of the renal pelvis are stretched.5
The pain may be dull, like a back strain, or intense, like a kidney punch.
—Jay N. Yepuri, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Unlike other anti-colic bottle systems — which come with loads of parts — there's less to wash.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022
Companies often suggest that common infant adaptations such as fussiness, colic or short nighttime sleep duration are signs of breastfeeding issues that formula can fix.
—Janelle Chavez, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for colic
Dictionary Entries Near colic
Cite this Entry
“Colic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colic. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
colic
1 of 3 noun
col·ic
ˈkäl-ik 
1
: an attack of acute abdominal pain localized in a hollow organ or part (as the small intestine, ureter, or bile duct) and often caused by spasm, obstruction, or twisting
2
: a condition marked by recurrent episodes of prolonged and uncontrollable crying and irritability in an otherwise healthy infant that is of unknown cause and usually subsides after three to four months of age
colic
2 of 3 adjective
: of or relating to colic : colicky
colic crying
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