Ventre

Ventre is a French noun meaning belly or abdomen. It denotes the front part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis in humans and other mammals, commonly referred to in everyday language as the belly. In anatomy the term is often used interchangeably with abdomen, though "abdomen" is the more precise medical term. The ventral body region contains the abdominal cavity, which houses major digestive organs such as the stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen, along with kidneys and other structures. The abdominal wall and the diaphragm form its boundaries, and the muscles of the anterior trunk provide support and movement.

Etymology: ventre comes from Latin venter, belly. In French, ventre is masculine: le ventre; the plural is ventres. The word can refer to the literal abdomen as well as figurative interiors, and appears in various expressions concerning pregnancy, digestion, or innards.

Other uses: In zoology, botany and horticulture, ventre can describe the belly or underside of an animal or fruit. In everyday speech, people say "avoir mal au ventre" to mean stomach ache, and "ventre plat" or "ventre rond" describe the shape of the belly. In medical contexts, more specific terms such as abdomen or abdominal cavity may be used, but ventre remains common in non-technical language.