esophagus

[ ih-sof-uh-guhs, ee-sof- ]
See synonyms for esophagus on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural e·soph·a·gi [ih-sof-uh-jahy, gahy, ee-sof-]. /ɪˈsɒf əˌdʒaɪ, ˌgaɪ, iˈsɒf-/. Anatomy, Zoology.
  1. a muscular passage connecting the mouth or pharynx with the stomach in invertebrate and vertebrate animals; gullet.

Origin of esophagus

1
1350–1400; <New Latin oesophagus<Greek oisophágos gullet, literally, channel for eating (oiso-, akin to oísein, future infinitive of phérein to carry + -phagos eating); replacing Middle English ysophagus<Medieval Latin

Words Nearby esophagus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use esophagus in a sentence

  • Through the mouth the animal ejects a part of the esophagus and envelops its prey, which is often of considerable size.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
  • The food that is swallowed passes down the esophagus and enters the stomach.

    Physiology | Ernest G. Martin
  • Close to its posterior end the esophagus gives off three food reservoirs, two above and a single larger one below.

    Insects and Diseases | Rennie W. Doane
  • The respiratory system is represented by the anlage of the lungs, a longitudinal protrusion of the ventral wall of the esophagus.

  • In the same way American usage prefers esophagus, diarrhea and gonorrhea to the English oesophagus, diarrhoea and gonorrhoea.

    The American Language | Henry L. Mencken

British Dictionary definitions for esophagus

esophagus

/ (iːˈsɒfəɡəs) /


nounplural -gi (-ˌdʒaɪ) or -guses
  1. the US spelling of oesophagus

Derived forms of esophagus

  • esophageal (iːˌsɒfəˈdʒiːəl), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for esophagus

esophagus

[ ĭ-sŏfə-gəs ]


Plural esophagi (ĭ-sŏfə-jī′, -gī′)
  1. The muscular tube in vertebrates through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for esophagus

esophagus

[ (i-sof-uh-guhs) ]


The muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach and serves as a passageway for food. (See digestive system.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.