esophagus
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of esophagus
1350–1400; < New Latin oesophagus < Greek oisophágos gullet, literally, channel for eating ( oiso-, akin to oísein, future infinitive of phérein to carry + -phagos eating); replacing Middle English ysophagus < Medieval Latin
Explanation
The esophagus is the muscular tube that conveys food from the pharynx at the back of the mouth to the stomach. The esophagus is sometimes called the gullet. Humans and other vertebrates have an esophagus. The word comes from the Greek word oisophagos, which means gullet, from the roots oisein, meaning to carry, and phagein, meaning to eat. In British English, the spelling is oesophagus. You should always chew your food thoroughly because you don't want it to get stuck in your esophagus on the way down, unless you're a heron and can swallow fish whole.
Vocabulary lists containing esophagus
Gross, Anatomy!
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Dear Martin
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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.
See Examples For:
Gastrointestinal cancers include cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and colon or rectum.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Or she operates the machine as the doctor guides a probe down the esophagus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
NRF2 overactivity plays a major role in chemotherapy resistance in several solid tumors, including cancers of the liver, esophagus and head and neck.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 17, 2025
In 14-hour shifts, dairy workers pumped gallons of electrolyte-rich fluids into ailing cows through metal tubes inserted into the esophagus.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024
He coughs as what feels like the flames of hell run down his esophagus through his chest and into his stomach.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Radiographs and other examination procedures revealed that the snake also has two tracheas and two esophagi, but only one heart and a set of lungs.
From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2018
Later examinations showed the surgeon that tissue and some mucous membrane had grown up along the outer walls of the plastic tubes, giving the dogs what amounted to new esophagi.
From Time Magazine Archive
Oscar Mayer All Meat Wieners do not contain esophagi, ears, lips and snouts; they do not contain poultry meat or "binders" like dried milk, cereal or flour.
From Time Magazine Archive
Federal law allows hot dogs to contain such animal features as esophagi, ears, lips and snouts.
From Time Magazine Archive
Such febrifuges as masquerade under that name are barely recognisable by authentic connoisseurs, by Rabelaises of sensitive esophagi, by true lovers of subtly concocted gin and vermouth and bitters.
From Europe After 8:15 by Benton, Thomas H.
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.
