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Jacobson's organ

American  
[jey-kuhb-suhnz] / ˈdʒeɪ kəb sənz /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.
  1. either of a pair of blind, tubular, olfactory sacs in the roof of the mouth, vestigial in humans but well-developed in many animals, especially reptiles.


Etymology

Origin of Jacobson's organ

1870–75; named after L. L. Jacobson (died 1843), Danish anatomist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The inhaled air is trapped on the olfactory epithelium and/or the Jacobson’s organ, giving kitties an extra chance to detect scent molecules.

From National Geographic Jan. 2, 2024

This shunts air molecules to the Jacobson’s organ.

From National Geographic Jan. 2, 2024

Our feline friends have another tool at their disposal: the Jacobson’s organ.

From National Geographic Jan. 2, 2024

So is this pit, or pits if you are one of a few that have it bilaterally, a functional Jacobson’s organ, or is it just a leftover of our evolutionary past?

From Slate Aug. 25, 2014

The palatine is slightly rounded at its anterior end, which extends anteriorly to the posterior margin of the vacuity containing Jacobson's organ.

From A Revision of Snakes of the Genus Conophis (Family Colubridae, from Middle America) by Wellman, John

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