bladder

• blather, blether (Scotland)

From Middle English bladdre, bleddre, bladder, bledder, from Old English blæddre, a variant of blǣdre, blēdre (“blister, bladder”), from Proto-West Germanic *blādrā, from Proto-Germanic *blēdrǭ, *bladrǭ (“blister, bladder”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈblædə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈblædɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ædə(ɹ)

bladder (plural bladders)

1. (zoology) A flexible sac that can expand and contract and that holds liquids or gases.

   Synonym: vesica

2. (anatomy) Specifically, the urinary bladder.

   Synonym: vesica

3. (botany) A hollow, inflatable organ of a plant.
4. The inflatable bag inside various balls used in sports, such as footballs and rugby balls.
5. A sealed plastic bag that contains wine and is usually packaged in a cask.
6. (figurative) Anything inflated, empty, or unsound.
   • 1711, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, “Sensus Communis”, in Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times:

     to swim with bladders of philosophy

bladder (third-person singular simple present bladders, present participle bladdering, simple past and past participle bladdered)

1. To swell out like a bladder with air; to inflate.
   • 1610, Giles Fletcher, Christ's Victorie and Triumph, in Heaven, in Earth, over and after Death:

     bladder'd up with pride of his own mcrit

2. (transitive) To store or put up in bladders.

   bladdered lard

From Middle Dutch blader: see blaar.

• IPA^(key): /ˈblɑ.dər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: blad‧der
• Rhymes: -ɑdər

bladder f or m (plural bladders, diminutive bladdertje n)

1. blister, particularly of paint

bladder

1. Alternative form of bladdre