isthmus

[is-muhs]

noun

plural

isthmuses, isthmi 

1. a narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting two larger bodies of land.

2. Anatomy, Zoology.,  a connecting, usually narrow, part, organ, or passage, especially when joining structures or cavities larger than itself.

3. Ichthyology.,  the narrow fleshy area between the sides of the lower jaw of a fish.

isthmus

/ ˈɪsməs /

noun

1. a narrow strip of land connecting two relatively large land areas

2. anatomy

   1. a narrow band of tissue connecting two larger parts of a structure

   2. a narrow passage connecting two cavities

isthmus

plural

isthmuses 

1. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land.

isthmus

1. A narrow strip of land that connects two larger bodies of land and has water on both sides.

Other Word Forms

• isthmoid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of isthmus¹

1545–55; < Latin < Greek isthmós neck (of land)

Word History and Origins

Origin of isthmus¹

C16: from Latin, from Greek isthmos

Related Words

• collar