tracheal

American  

[trey-kee-uhl, truh-kee-uhl] / ˈtreɪ ki əl, trəˈki əl /

adjective

1. Anatomy, Zoology. pertaining to or connected with the trachea or tracheae.

2. Botany. of the nature of or composed of tracheae or vessels.

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Other Word Forms

• posttracheal
  adjective
• pretracheal
  adjective
• transtracheal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tracheal

First recorded in 1700–10; trache(a) + -al ¹

Explanation

Anything tracheal has something to do with the trachea, or windpipe. A tracheal obstruction makes it hard to breathe. All tracheal things relate to the tube that connects your larynx to your two primary bronchi, just before your lungs. When doctors need to intervene to help a patient breathe, they'll frequently do a tracheal intubation, inserting a tube into the trachea to keep the airway open. The Greek root of tracheal is trakheia, "rough," which describes the cartilage rings that form the trachea.