Definition of "ileus" [‖Il•e•us]

• Intestinal obstruction causing colic, vomiting, and constipation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Meconium ileus is a bowel obstruction that occurs when the meconium in your child's intestine is even thicker and stickier than normal meconium, creating a blockage in a part of the small intestine called the ileum."
• "The bowel can be reconnected once your child's ileus is gone."
• "However, these patients are prone to ileus formation secondary to the anticholinergic effects of glutethimide."