diverticulum

diverticulum A small bulging sac that pushes outward from the bowels. The plural is diverticula. As a person ages, pressure within the large intestine (colon) causes diverticula. Diverticula can occur throughout the colon but are most common near the end of the S-shaped segment of the colon located in the lower-left part of the abdomen (the sigmoid colon). See also diverticulitis; diverticulosis.