/ˈsēkəm/
Also caecum.
Noun, pl. caeca or ceca
1. A pouch, usually peritoneal, that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It receives fecal material from the ileum, and connects to the ascending colon of the large intestine. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve (ICV) or Bauhin’s valve. It is also separated from the colon by the cecocolic junction. The appendix is connected to the cecum. While the cecum is usually peritoneal, the ascending colon is retroperitoneal. (wikipedia.org)
2. A blind pouch connected to the large intestine between the ileum and the colon. (wiktionary.org)
3. The cavity in which the large intestine begins and into which the ileum opens. (wordnetweb.princeton.edu)
4. A blind pouch-like commencement of the colon in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen at the end of the small intestine. The appendix is a diverticulum that extends off the caecum. (biology-online.org)
Word origin: From Latin intestinum caecum “blind gut,” from neuter of caecus “blind, hidden,” from Proto-Italic *kaiko–