rhonchus

[rong-kuh s]

noun, plural rhon·chi [rong-kahy] /ˈrɒŋ kaɪ/.

a wheezing or snoring sound heard upon auscultation of the chest, caused by an accumulation of mucus or other material.

Origin of rhonchus

1820–30; < Latin: a snoring, croaking < Late Greek rhónchos, variant of Greek rhénchos

Related formsrhon·chi·al

[rong-kee-uh l] /ˈrɒŋ ki əl/, rhon·chal

[rong-kuh l] /ˈrɒŋ kəl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for rhonchi

rhonchus

noun plural -chi (-kaɪ)

a rattling or whistling respiratory sound resembling snoring, caused by secretions in the trachea or bronchi

Derived Formsrhonchal or rhonchial, adjective

Word Origin for rhonchus

C19: from Latin, from Greek rhenkhos snoring

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

Word Origin and History for rhonchi

rhonchus

plural rhonchi, 1829, from Latinized form of Greek rhenkhos, rhankos, properly "a snoring, snorting," from rhenkein "to snore, snort," of imitative origin. Related: Rhonchal; rhonchial.

rhonchi in Medicine

rhonchus

[rŏng′kəs]

n. pl. rhon•chi (-kī)

A coarse rattling sound somewhat like snoring, usually caused by secretion in a bronchial tube.

Related formsrhon′chal (-kəl) adj.