esophagus

[ ih-sof-uh-guhs, ee-sof- ]

See synonyms for esophagus on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural e·soph·a·gi

[ih-sof-uh-jahy, gahy, ee-sof-]. /ɪˈsɒf əˌdʒaɪ, ˌgaɪ, iˈsɒf-/. Anatomy, Zoology.

a muscular passage connecting the mouth or pharynx with the stomach in invertebrate and vertebrate animals; gullet.

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

Words Nearby esophagus

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

How to use esophagus in a sentence

While useful for muscle pain, these can cause problems anywhere along the GI tract, from the esophagus to the colon.
Why do marathon runners get the runs? | Ellen Airhart | November 7, 2021 | Popular-Science
On top of that, anything that is long or sharp has the potential to scratch or tear the eater’s esophagus, the long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.
What would happen if I ate my computer? Asking for a friend. | Ellen Airhart | September 14, 2021 | Popular-Science
The fossil and living nervous systems match up in their arrangements of nerves to the eyes and appendages, and show the same central opening for the esophagus to pass through.
Ancient Brains: Inside the Extraordinary Preservation of a 310-Million-Year-Old Nervous System | John Paterson | July 30, 2021 | Singularity Hub
The case currently before the Texas Supreme Court involves a 19-month-old toddler who suffered permanent damage to her esophagus when she ingested a lithium-ion battery that popped out of a knockoff remote control.
Amazon argues it’s not liable for product that severely injured toddler | Tim De Chant | March 26, 2021 | Ars Technica
So, the reason I “got into” making gravy was I had to follow a strict soft food diet for a couple months this summer after scorching my esophagus.
20 Days of Turkey | Meghan McCarron | December 23, 2020 | Eater

Through the mouth the animal ejects a part of the esophagus and envelops its prey, which is often of considerable size.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
The food that is swallowed passes down the esophagus and enters the stomach.
Physiology | Ernest G. Martin
Close to its posterior end the esophagus gives off three food reservoirs, two above and a single larger one below.
Insects and Diseases | Rennie W. Doane
The respiratory system is represented by the anlage of the lungs, a longitudinal protrusion of the ventral wall of the esophagus.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation | Austin O'Malley
In the same way American usage prefers esophagus, diarrhea and gonorrhea to the English oesophagus, diarrhoea and gonorrhoea.
The American Language | Henry L. Mencken

British Dictionary definitions for esophagus

esophagus

/ (iːˈsɒfəɡəs) /

nounplural -gi (-ˌdʒaɪ) or -guses

the US spelling of oesophagus

Derived forms of esophagus

esophageal (iːˌsɒfəˈdʒiːəl), adjective

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 esophagus

esophagus

[ ĭ-sŏf′ə-gəs ]

Plural esophagi (ĭ-sŏf′ə-jī′, -gī′)

The muscular tube in vertebrates through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach.

Cultural definitions for esophagus

esophagus

[ (i-sof-uh-guhs) ]

The muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach and serves as a passageway for food. (See digestive system.)

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