meatus

American  

[mee-ey-tuhs] / miˈeɪ təs /

noun

Anatomy.

meatuses, plural meatus plural

1. an opening or foramen, especially in a bone or bony structure, as the opening of the ear or nose.

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meatus British  

/ mɪˈeɪtəs /

noun

1. anatomy a natural opening or channel, such as the canal leading from the outer ear to the eardrum

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• meatal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• meatus
  plural
• meatuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of meatus

1655–65; < Latin meātus course, channel, equivalent to meā ( re ) to go, extend, have a course + -tus suffix of v. action

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

meatus meatuses

Specifically, I’d like to acquaint you with the internal auditory meatus.

From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2021

In my case, the fracture tore through the meatus, cutting my inner ear off from the outside world.

From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2021

The final opening of the urethra is called the meatus.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2018

They both emerge from the inner ear, pass through the internal auditory meatus, and synapse in nuclei of the superior medulla.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The arrow is placed within the "meatus," and points in the direction taken by the sound waves.

From Psychology A Study Of Mental Life by Woodworth, Robert S.

The nasal passages contain the conchae and meatuses that expand the surface area of the cavity, which helps to warm and humidify incoming air, while removing debris and pathogens.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

To these symptoms were added, almost immediately, itching in the auditory meatuses and the secretion of a thin fluid in the previously dry nasal passages.

From Psychotherapy by Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)