brzuch

Brzuch is a Polish noun that designates the abdomen or belly. It refers to the front part of the trunk between the chest and the pelvis in humans and many animals. In everyday language, brzuch is commonly used for the belly area, while żołądek denotes the stomach in a more technical sense. The diminutive brzuczek or brzusińko can be used affectionately or to describe a smaller belly.

In human anatomy, the brzuch forms the abdominal region, containing the abdominal cavity bounded above by the diaphragm and below by the pelvic inlet. The abdominal wall comprises layers of muscles: the external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, and rectus abdominis. The region houses or is adjacent to organs such as the stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, pancreas, and parts of the urinary and reproductive systems. Clinically, brzuch appears in many phrases, for example ból brzucha (abdominal pain) and wzdęcia brzucha (abdominal distension).

In biology and zoology, the term brzuch can also refer to the abdomen of arthropods, including insects and crustaceans, where it denotes the posterior body tagma. This usage contrasts with terms like tułów (thorax) in describing the body plan of these organisms. The word is widely used in Polish educational and veterinary contexts to describe the rear body region across different species.

Etymologically, brzuch is a long-standing Polish term for the belly or abdomen, carrying both anatomical and colloquial meanings. It remains a common reference in medical, fitness, and everyday language.