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cochlea
[ kok-lee-uh, koh-klee-uh ]
/ ˈkɒk li ə, ˈkoʊ kli ə /
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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.
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Origin of cochlea
OTHER WORDS FROM cochlea
coch·le·ar, adjectiveWords nearby cochlea
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cochlea in a sentence
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, adjectiveWord 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
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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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.