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concha

1 American  
[kong-kuh] / ˈkɒŋ kə /

noun

  • conchae
    plural
  1. Anatomy.

    1. a shell-like structure, especially the external ear.

    2. any turbinate bone, especially in the nose.

  2. Architecture. conch.


concha 2 American  
[kong-kuh] / ˈkɒŋ kə /

noun

  • conchae
    plural
  1. a disk, traditionally of hammered silver and resembling a shell or flower, used as decoration on belts, harness, etc.


concha British  
/ ˈkɒŋkə /

noun

  1. any bodily organ or part resembling a shell in shape, such as the external ear

  2. Also called: concharchitect the half dome of an apse

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of concha1

1605–15; < New Latin, Latin: conch

Origin of concha2

From Spanish (southwestern U.S.), from Late Latin conchula, diminutive of Latin concha “shell”; see concha 1, conch

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.

See Examples For:

“If you’re gonna mess around with the vanilla or chocolate concha, think twice about it,” the user warned.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 22, 2025

In anticipation of the new “Barbie” film release this weekend, bakeries across the country have created a new type of Barbie to consume: a traditional Mexican concha.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 19, 2023

My favorite is the sugar paste, because it reminds me of the topping on a concha, a Mexican sweet bread roll.

From Washington Post Dec. 30, 2022

Miss Matriarch's outfit was spot-on in that every item was piled on to convey her identity: the beaded earrings, the concha belt, the ribbon skirt, everything.

From Salon Aug. 31, 2022

“One Cafe Olé and one concha coming up.”

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez

The inferior concha is the largest of the nasal conchae and can easily be seen when looking into the anterior opening of the nasal cavity.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

Figure 7.13 Lateral Wall of Nasal Cavity The three nasal conchae are curved bones that project from the lateral walls of the nasal cavity.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

The inferior conchae are separate bones, whereas the superior and middle conchae are portions of the ethmoid bone.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

The nasal conchae are bony projections from the lateral walls of the nasal cavity.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

Each lateral wall of the nasal cavity has three bony projections, called the superior, middle, and inferior nasal conchae.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

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