ETYM French gésier, Latin gigeria, pl., the cooked entrails of poultry. Related to Gigerium.
Muscular grinding organ of the digestive tract, below the crop of birds, earthworms, and some insects, and forming part of the stomach. The gizzard of birds is lined with a hardened horny layer of the protein keratin, preventing damage to the muscle layer during the grinding process. Most birds swallow sharp grit which aids maceration of food in the gizzard.
Thick-walled muscular pouch below the crop in many birds and reptiles for grinding food; SYN. ventriculus, gastric mill. + prikaži više