trachea

American  

[trey-kee-uh, truh-kee-uh] / ˈtreɪ ki ə, trəˈki ə /

noun

plural

tracheae, tracheas

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the tube in humans and other air-breathing vertebrates extending from the larynx to the bronchi, serving as the principal passage for conveying air to and from the lungs; the windpipe.

2. (in insects and other arthropods) one of the air-conveying tubes of the respiratory system.

3. Botany. vessel.

---

trachea British  

/ trəˈkiːə /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: windpipe.  anatomy zoology the membranous tube with cartilaginous rings that conveys inhaled air from the larynx to the bronchi

2. any of the tubes in insects and related animals that convey air from the spiracles to the tissues

3. botany another name for vessel tracheid

---

trachea Scientific  

/ trā′kē-ə /

plural

tracheae

1. The tube in vertebrate animals that leads from the larynx to the bronchial tubes and carries air to the lungs. In mammals the trachea is strengthened by rings of cartilage.

2. Also called windpipe

3. Any of the tiny tubes originating from the spiracles of many terrestrial arthropods and forming a branching network that brings air directly to body cells.

---

trachea Cultural  

1. The tube connecting the mouth to the bronchial tubes that carries air to the lungs; the windpipe.

---

Other Word Forms

• tracheal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of trachea

1350–1400; Middle English trache < Medieval Latin trāchēa, for Late Latin trāchīa < Greek trācheîa, short for artēría trācheîa rough artery, i.e., windpipe

Compare meaning

How does trachea compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• larynx vs. trachea

Explanation

Trachea is another name for windpipe, which is the tube that connects your larynx to your primary bronchi, just before your lungs. You can't breathe without your trachea. The word trachea is from the Greek phrase for windpipe — trakheia arteria, which literally meant "rough artery." The trachea is formed from rings of cartilage, which give the trachea its rough appearance. If you can't breathe, you may need a tracheotomy, which is a procedure in which the doctor makes an incision and then places a tube in your trachea below the obstruction so you can still take air into your lungs.

Example Sentences

The lower respiratory tract consists of the Trachea, Bronchi, Bronchioles, and the Lungs.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Stem-Cell Trachea Transplant Spanish doctors give a woman a windpipe made from a donor trachea and her own stem cells.

From Time Magazine Archive

Trachea -ae: the spirally ringed breathing tube or tubes of insects.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

T, Trachea; B, orifice of left main bronchus at bifurcation of trachea.

From Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery by Jackson, Chevalier

It was naturally divided into Cilicia Trachea, W. of the Lamas Su, and Cilicia Pedias, E. of that river.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various

Related Words

• esophagus
• larynx