nasopharynx

American  

[ney-zoh-far-ingks] / ˌneɪ zoʊˈfær ɪŋks /

noun

Anatomy.

• nasopharynges,
  plural
• nasopharynxes
  plural

1. the part of the pharynx behind and above the soft palate, directly continuous with the nasal passages.

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nasopharynx British  

/ -ˌfærɪnˈdʒɪəl, ˌneɪzəʊˈfærɪŋks, ˌneɪzəʊfəˈrɪndʒɪəl /

noun

1. the part of the pharynx situated above and behind the soft palate

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nasopharyngeal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nasopharynges
  plural
• nasopharynxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nasopharynx

First recorded in 1875–80; naso- + pharynx

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nasopharynx

Bush, the EPA finally deemed formaldehyde a probable human carcinogen and calculated the likelihood of it causing an extremely rare cancer that affects a part of the throat called the nasopharynx.

From Salon ● Dec. 9, 2024

“I’ve been here like 30 times,” Russell Isabella said after a health technician shoved a swab into his nasopharynx, his boats—the Hear No Evil and the Temptress—bobbing behind him off the edge of the pier.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 8, 2021

In humans the sense of smell is received in nasopharynx.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Both the uvula and soft palate move like a pendulum during swallowing, swinging upward to close off the nasopharynx to prevent ingested materials from entering the nasal cavity.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

A nasal tone is always a cramped tone, due to impediment, tension, or muscular contraction, particularly in the nasopharynx.

From Resonance in Singing and Speaking by Thomas Fillebrown