There are a number of terms that are used frequently in refernce to the abdominal plain film. These terms are defined below.

The Abdmoninal Plain Film

This is an old term that referred to a supine abdominal radiograph. It predates digital radiography but is still used by some radiographers today.

Acute Abdomen

This is a short-hand term refers to a patient who has acute abdominal symptoms

Fulminant

Developing or progressing suddenly, severely or rapidly

Quiescent

inactive

Dependent

The concept of dependent and non-dependent positions is an important concept in imaging and particularly useful when discussing the abdominal plain film. Consider a loop of bowel that is half filled with fluid and half filled with air- the contents of the loop of bowel will be subject to gravitational forces causing the fluid to always settle to the lowest point and the air to always rise the the highest point. The fluid that settles to the lowest point is said to uccupy the most dependent part of the bowel. The air that rises is said to occupy the least dependent part of the the bowel

Efface

Wipe put, destroy, obliterate

Ileus

The term ileus appears to have undergone a subtle change in meaning/useage. The term Ileus originally was used to denote stasis of abdominal contents. The term had two common uses

Adynamic Ileus ( syn paralytic ileus, non-obstructive ileus)
This referred to non-functioning bowel for reasons other than obstuction
Obstructive Ileus
This referred to stasis of bowel contents for reasons related to obstruction

It appears for reasons of economy, the terms where abridged as follows

Adynamic Ileus was shortened to Ileus
Obstructive Ileus was shotened to obstruction

Thus, with its current meanings, you will hear a clinician ask a radiologist whether he/she thinks a patient has ileus or obstruction. To make matters even more complicated, I have read that some countries still use the original meaning sof these two terms. Some radiologists avoid the issue be describing an appearance as demonstrating a motility disorder.

Motility Disorder

This term refers to stasis of bowel contents without specifying whether it is obstructive or non-obstructive in nature.

Valvulae Conniventes

The small bowel has a wall pattern that is known as valvulae conniventes (white arrow). The muscular bands encircling the small bowel are usually seen to traverse the bowel wall at right angles to the long axis of the bowel

The small bowel has a wall pattern that is known as valvulae conniventes

Plicae Semilunaris and Haustra

The large bowel wall features pouches or sacculation that protrude into the lumen that are known as haustra.haustra(black arrow). You will hear radiologists refer to the bowel's "haustral pattern". In between the haustra are spaces known as plicae semilunarissemilunaris- white arrow (semilunaris refers to ther semi-lunar shape)

The small bowel has a wall pattern that is known as valvulae conniventes