hypopharynx

[ hahy-puh-far-ingks ]

noun

, plural hy·po·pha·ryn·ges [hahy-p, uh, -f, uh, -, rin, -jeez], hy·po·phar·ynx·es.

1. Entomology. a tonguelike lobe on the floor of the mouth in many insects.
2. Anatomy. the lower part of the pharynx.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypopharynx¹

First recorded in 1820–30; hypo- + pharynx

Example Sentences

Martin Tobin, a Loyola University Medical Center pulmonologist and expert on the mechanics of breathing, had the jurors examine their own necks to identify the anatomical features he was describing: the hypopharynx toward the front, the nuchal ligament in the back.

From Washington Post

Almost all cancers located in the larynx or hypopharynx develop from cells called squamous cells.

From Fox News

Gender also seems to play a role, with cancers of the larynx and hypopharynx being almost four times more common in men than women, which may be due to the lifestyle factors mentioned above.

From Fox News

You learn that “the different parts of the throat are called the oropharynx, the hypopharynx, and the nasopharynx.”

From Scientific American

A median process, known as the hypopharynx or tongue, arises from the floor of the mouth in front of the labium, and becomes most variously developed or specialized in different insects.

From Project Gutenberg