Eustachian tube

[ yoo-stey-shuhn, -stey-kee-uhn ]

noun

, Anatomy.

1. a canal extending from the middle ear to the pharynx; auditory canal.

Eustachian tube

/ juːˈsteɪʃən /

noun

1. a tube that connects the middle ear with the nasopharynx and equalizes the pressure between the two sides of the eardrum

eustachian tube

/ yo̅o̅-stā′shən /

1. A slender tube that connects the middle ear with the upper part of the pharynx, serving to equalize air pressure on either side of the eardrum.

Eustachian tube

1. A tube made up of bone and cartilage that connects the middle ear to the back of the mouth.

Notes

Swallowing during airplane takeoffs and landings allows air to move through the Eustachian tube to equalize pressure across the eardrum , causing the ears to “pop.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Eustachian tube¹

1735–45; named after Eustachio; -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of Eustachian tube¹

C18: named after Bartolomeo Eustachio, 16th-century Italian anatomist

Example Sentences

Respiratory illnesses affect your sinuses and Eustachian tubes, which connect your middle ear to your throat.

From Washington Post

Nasal passages butt against Eustachian tubes and eyeballs.

From Scientific American

Incidentally, another piece of tubing in the body, the Eustachian tube linking the middle ear to the pharynx, was also described around this time, by Bartolomeo Eustachio.

From Literature

She recounts 19th-century surgical procedures to perforate the tympanic membrane and methods for unblocking Eustachian tubes with smoke.

From Washington Post

Modern humans' Eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the nasopharynx, would change as they age.

From Fox News