pharynx
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pharynx
1685–95; < New Latin < Greek phárynx throat, akin to pháranx gulf, chasm
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Explanation
The pharynx is the part of your throat right behind your mouth. If you have a sore throat, tell your mom you have an inflamed pharynx. It sounds more impressive and might get you out of doing the dishes. You might not know it, but you use your pharynx all day long. It's the muscular tube in the front of your neck that lets you take in both air and food. When you eat, food moves through your pharynx to your esophagus and then to your stomach. When you breathe, air is taken in through your nose and then moves through the pharynx to the trachea and, finally, to your lungs.
Vocabulary lists containing pharynx
Gross, Anatomy!
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Included in the upper respiratory tract are the Nostrils, Nasal Cavities, Pharynx, Epiglottis, and the Larynx.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
Figure 22.6 Divisions of the Pharynx The pharynx is divided into three regions: the nasopharynx, the oropharynx, and the laryngopharynx.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
Figure 23.12 Pharynx The pharynx runs from the nostrils to the esophagus and the larynx.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
The Pharynx is a round and somewhat cone-shaped cavity, about four and one half inches in length, which lies just back of the nostrils, mouth, and larynx.
From Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools by Walters, Francis M.
Diverticulum of the Œsophagus at its Junction with the Pharynx 627 287.
From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
