cochlea

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

/ ˈkɒk li ə, ˈkoʊ kli ə /

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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.

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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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cochlea in a sentence

If you're born deaf, the debate about cochlear implants, children and deaf cultural rights will touch your life in some way.
This Is What It Is Like To Be Deaf From Birth|Quora Contributor|December 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
To destroy the cochlear nerve, the whole of the cochlea should be removed.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
These fibres of the trapezium come from the cochlear nucleus of the auditory nerve, and run up as the lateral fillet.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4|Various

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

Medical definitions for cochlea

cochlea

[ kŏk′lē-ə, kō′klē-ə ]

n. pl. coch•le•as

A spiral-shaped cavity in the petrous portion of the temporal bone of the inner ear, containing the nerve endings essential for hearing and forming one of the divisions of the labyrinth.

Other words from cochlea

coch′le•ar (-ər) adj.

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.