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rhonchus

[ rong-kuh s ]
/ ˈrɒŋ kəs /

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.

Nearby words

  1. rhomboidal sinus,
  2. rhomboideus,
  3. rhombus,
  4. rhonchal fremitus,
  5. rhonchial,
  6. rhonda,
  7. rhondda,
  8. rhondda cynon taff,
  9. rhone,
  10. rhone river

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 rhonchus

rhonchus

/ (ˈrɒŋkəs) /

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 rhonchus

rhonchus

n.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for rhonchus

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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.