nasopharynx

[ ney-zoh-far-ingks ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural na·so·pha·ryn·ges [ney-zoh-f, uh, -, rin, -jeez], na·so·phar·ynx·es.

1. the part of the pharynx behind and above the soft palate, directly continuous with the nasal passages. Compare oropharynx ( def 2 ).

nasopharynx

/ -ˌfærɪnˈdʒɪəl; ˌneɪzəʊˈfærɪŋks; ˌneɪzəʊfəˈrɪndʒɪəl /

noun

1. the part of the pharynx situated above and behind the soft palate

Derived Forms

• nasopharyngeal, adjective

Other Words From

• na·so·pha·ryn·ge·al [ney-zoh-f, uh, -, rin, -jee-, uh, l, -j, uh, l, -far-, uh, n-, jee, -, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nasopharynx¹

First recorded in 1875–80; naso- + pharynx

Example Sentences

In a study published in npj Vaccines, mice immunized intranasally with the new T-vant vaccine showed no signs of the bacteria in the lungs and nasopharynx -- the upper throat area behind the nose -- three weeks after infection.

From Science Daily

"If you swab the throat, which is way in the back — and you can consider that the back of the nose also, we call that the nasopharynx, way back there in the throat — this is a virus that does cause sore throats, and indeed it gets down into your chest."

From Salon

During the early months of the pandemic, these tests generally required medical professionals to stick a swab deep into a patient’s nasopharynx, a procedure that can be deeply uncomfortable and put clinicians at risk.

From New York Times

He boasts they show his test is better than the standard, uncomfortable swab of the nasopharynx test backed by the federal agency — though they have yet to be peer-reviewed or published independently.

From Los Angeles Times

Federal COVID-19 czar Dr. Anthony Fauci said last month that even after being fully vaccinated, people could “have the virus in your nasopharynx that you could shed. And theoretically, you could infect someone else.”

From Los Angeles Times