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modiolus

[ moh-dahy-uh-luhs, muh- ]
/ moʊˈdaɪ ə ləs, mə- /
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noun, plural mo·di·o·li [moh-dahy-uh-lahy, muh-]. /moʊˈdaɪ əˌlaɪ, mə-/. Anatomy.
the central, conical axis of the cochlea of the ear.
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Origin of modiolus

1685–95; <New Latin, Latin: nave of a wheel bucket, drinking vessel, equivalent to modi(us) a dry measure (perhaps derivative of modusmode1) + -olus-ole1

OTHER WORDS FROM modiolus

mo·di·o·lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use modiolus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for modiolus

modiolus
/ (məʊˈdaɪəʊləs, mə-) /

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)
the central bony pillar of the cochlea

Word Origin for modiolus

C19: New Latin, from Latin: hub of a wheel, from modus a measure
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
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