kidneys

Noun

kidney (plural kidneys)

1. An organ in the body that filters the blood, producing urine.
   • The liver and the kidneys of animals have long been gastronomically popular for their aphrodisiac properties.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 124
2. This organ (of an animal) cooked as food.
3. (dated, figuratively) Constitution, temperament, nature, type, character, disposition. (usually used of people)
   • […] think of that, – a man of my kidney, – think of that, […]c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
4. (obsolete, slang) A waiter.
   • I once more desire my readers to consider that as I cannot keep an ingenious man to go daily to Will's under twopence each day merely for his charges, to White's under sixpence, nor to the Grecian without allowing him some plain Spanish, to be as able as others at the learned table; and that a good...1709, Richard Steele, The Tatler, volume 1

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