bladder: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical/Medical, Everyday (in anatomical context), Formal/Informal (for metaphorical use).
Quick answer
What does “bladder” mean?
A hollow, flexible organ or sac in the body of humans and other animals that stores liquid, most commonly urine.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A hollow, flexible organ or sac in the body of humans and other animals that stores liquid, most commonly urine.
Any flexible, inflatable or fluid-holding bag or sac, such as in a football or wine skin; used metaphorically to describe something distended or empty.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both use 'bladder' identically for the anatomical and technical senses. Minor differences in collocational frequency (e.g., 'bladder cancer' vs. 'bladder infection' rates in public health discourse).
Connotations
Similar connotations of bodily function, fragility, or containment in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English in specific public health contexts (e.g., NHS campaigns), but overall usage is equivalent.
Grammar
How to Use “bladder” in a Sentence
have a + ADJ + bladder (e.g., weak, strong)suffer from bladder + NOUN (e.g., infection, cancer)the bladder of + NOUN (e.g., a fish, the ball)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bladder” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The old football had bladdered after being left in the sun.
- The tyre began to bladder out dangerously.
American English
- The inner tube bladdered after the puncture.
- The cheap bag bladdered at the seams.
adjective
British English
- The bladder-wrack seaweed washed ashore.
- He had a bladder-like swelling on his ankle.
American English
- Bladder campion is a common wildflower.
- The bladder cherry plant is also known as physalis.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in manufacturing (e.g., 'the hydraulic bladder ruptured').
Academic
Common in medical, biological, and anatomical texts.
Everyday
Common in health discussions (e.g., 'I have a bladder infection') and humorous complaints (e.g., 'My bladder's full').
Technical
Prevalent in medicine, biology, engineering (fluid containers, pressure systems).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bladder”
- Misspelling as 'blader' or 'bladder'. Confusing 'gall bladder' (stores bile) with 'urinary bladder' (stores urine). Using in overly casual contexts where it may sound clinical.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a standard, neutral anatomical term. However, in very formal social situations, euphemisms like 'restroom needs' might be preferred over direct mentions.
Yes, but it's rare and technical. It means to swell out or form a bladder-like shape, often used in manufacturing or describing material failure (e.g., 'The tyre bladdered').
The gall bladder is a small organ that stores bile from the liver for digestion. The (urinary) bladder stores urine from the kidneys before it leaves the body.
Not many strong idioms. Humorous/slang expressions exist, like 'to have a bladder like a sieve' (to urinate frequently). The metaphorical use implying 'empty talk' is now archaic.
A hollow, flexible organ or sac in the body of humans and other animals that stores liquid, most commonly urine.
Bladder is usually technical/medical, everyday (in anatomical context), formal/informal (for metaphorical use). in register.
Bladder: in British English it is pronounced /ˈblæd.ə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈblæd.ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be a bag/bundle of wind (related metaphorical sense)”
- “To have a bladder like a sieve (humorous: to need to urinate frequently)”
- “Piss and wind (vulgar, implying empty talk)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
BLADDER holds your LADDER (stream) of urine. Imagine a sad, deflated BALLOON as a BLADDER.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR FLUIDS, EMPTY TALK IS HOT AIR IN A BLADDER.
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is NOT a common collocation with 'bladder'?