This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
pharynx
[ far-ingks ]
/ ˈfær ɪŋks /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun, plural pha·ryn·ges [fuh-rin-jeez], /fəˈrɪn dʒiz/, phar·ynx·es.Anatomy.
the tube or cavity, with its surrounding membrane and muscles, that connects the mouth and nasal passages with the esophagus.
COMPARE COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS
These are smilar words, and share related meanings, but their uses are very different. Click on the buttons to learn more about these commonly confused words.
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of pharynx
1685–95; <New Latin <Greek phárynx throat, akin to pháranx gulf, chasm
Words nearby pharynx
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use pharynx in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pharynx
pharynx
/ (ˈfærɪŋks) /
noun plural pharynges (fæˈrɪndʒiːz) or pharynxes
the part of the alimentary canal between the mouth and the oesophagusCompare nasopharynx Related adjective: pharyngeal
Word Origin for pharynx
C17: via New Latin from Greek pharunx throat; related to Greek pharanx chasm
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
Medical definitions for pharynx
pharynx
[ făr′ĭngks ]
n. pl. phar•ynx•es
The upper section of the alimentary canal that extends from the mouth and nasal cavities to the larynx.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for pharynx
pharynx
[ făr′ĭngks ]
Plural pharynges (fə-rĭn′jēz) pharynxes
The passage that leads from the cavities of the nose and mouth to the larynx (voice box) and esophagus. Air passes through the pharynx on the way to the lungs, and food enters the esophagus from the pharynx.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.