pharynx

[ far-ingks ]
/ ˈfær ɪŋks /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR pharynx ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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Origin of pharynx

1685–95; < New Latin < Greek phárynx throat, akin to pháranx gulf, chasm

Words nearby pharynx

pharyngoscope, pharyngoscopy, pharyngospasm, pharyngostenosis, pharyngotomy, pharynx, phascogale, phase, phase angle, phase contrast microscope, phase diagram
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to pharynx

esophagus, larynx, gullet, maw, passage, gorge, trachea, windpipe, thorax, fauces, throat, voice

Example sentences from the Web for pharynx

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.