uvula

American  

[yoo-vyuh-luh] / ˈyu vyə lə /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

uvulas, uvulae

1. the small, fleshy, conical body projecting downward from the middle of the soft palate.

2. a similar structure in any organ of the body, especially one at the opening of the bladder.

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uvula British  

/ ˈjuːvjʊlə /

noun

1. a small fleshy finger-like flap of tissue that hangs in the back of the throat and is an extension of the soft palate

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uvula Scientific  

/ yo̅o̅′vyə-lə /

1. A small mass of fleshy tissue that hangs from the back of the soft palate.

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Etymology

Origin of uvula

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin ūvula, equivalent to Latin ūva “grape” + -ula -ule

Example Sentences

Plus, who among us learned what the uvula was just from this skit?

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2024

“Sometimes the tongue will just fall back against the soft palate and the uvula and tonsils, especially in a person who has a very small airway,” he says.

From Washington Post • Dec. 2, 2021

The lighter had gone beyond the uvula, no problem, but she still felt it at the base of her throat, struggling to get past the point where her collarbones dipped.

From The New Yorker • May 13, 2019

Tumors in Bucklew’s neck and throat, his lips and uvula, which make it difficult for him to breathe.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2019

You see her hand-drawn illustrations of the human mouth, the tongue, the upper and lower palates, the uvula.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee