cochlea

[ kok-lee-uh, koh-klee-uh ]

/ ˈkɒk li ə, ˈkoʊ kli ə /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: cochlear on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural coch·le·ae

[kok-lee-ee, -lee-ahy, koh-klee-ee, ‐klee-ahy], /ˈkɒk liˌi, -liˌaɪ, ˈkoʊ kliˌi, ‐kliˌaɪ/, coch·le·as.Anatomy.

a spiral-shaped cavity forming a division of the internal ear in humans and in most other mammals.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cochlea

1530–40; <Latin <Greek kochlíās snail (with spiral shell), screw, probably akin to kónchēconch

OTHER WORDS FROM cochlea

coch·le·ar, adjective

Words nearby cochlea

Cochin-China, cochineal, cochineal cactus, cochineal insect, Cochise, cochlea, cochlear duct, cochlear implant, cochleate, coch. mag., coch. med.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cochlea in a sentence

These bats have inner ears with extra space inside the cochlea and more neurons, which may help them hunt within a broad range of environments.
The secret to these bats’ hunting prowess is deep within their ears|Kate Baggaley|January 26, 2022|Popular-Science
Since the Jurassic Period, mammals have had a distinctive arrangement of inner ear structures within the snail shell-shaped cochlea.
The secret to these bats’ hunting prowess is deep within their ears|Kate Baggaley|January 26, 2022|Popular-Science
Hearing loss happens when the fragile hair cells inside the cochlea die.
Explainer: How loud is too loud?|Kendra Redmond|January 25, 2022|Science News For Students
Changes in pressure reach your cochlea and skin and become the voices and hugs of loved ones.
This is how your brain makes your mind|Lisa Feldman Barrett|August 25, 2021|MIT Technology Review

The latter is filled with a liquid which conveys the vibrations to a part having a coiled shell-like structure called the Cochlea.
Physics|Willis Eugene Tower
A dull bookworm like me,—cochlea vitam agens, Mr. Squills,—leading the life of a snail!
The Caxtons, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
To destroy the cochlear nerve, the whole of the cochlea should be removed.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
At the most, they knew the use of the spoon or cochlea, which they employed in eating eggs.
The Wonders of Pompeii|Marc Monnier
That part of the ear which receives sound waves is known as the cochlea, or snail shell, because of its shape.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for cochlea

cochlea

/ (ˈkɒklɪə) /

noun plural -leae (-lɪˌiː)

the spiral tube, shaped like a snail's shell, that forms part of the internal ear, converting sound vibrations into nerve impulses

Derived forms of cochlea

cochlear, adjective

Word Origin for cochlea

C16: from Latin: snail, spiral, from Greek kokhlias; probably related to Greek konkhē conch

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

Scientific definitions for cochlea

cochlea

[ kŏk′lē-ə ]

Plural cochleae (kŏk′lē-ē′, -lē-ī′) cochleas

A spiral-shaped cavity of the inner ear and the main organ of hearing. The cochlea contains the nerve endings that transmit sound vibrations from the middle ear to the auditory nerve.