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respiratory tract
noun
plural respiratory tracts
: a system of organs functioning in respiration and in humans consisting especially of the nose, nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs : respiratory system see lower respiratory tract, upper respiratory tract
Examples of respiratory tract in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Take, for example, influenza, an infection of the respiratory tract that kills between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans annually and, like COVID-19, disproportionately affects certain sectors of the population, especially older adults.
—Nicole Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
It often gets contaminated with normal bacteria that live in the respiratory tract.
—Tanya Feke, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2024
Within the animal's respiratory tract, evolved nasal and oral plugs protect the airways from water when breathing and feeding.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Patients are not infectious because the virus is not living in the respiratory tract, where it could be spread by coughing or sneezing, said UCSF’s Henrich.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
Those responses could have helped keep EV-D68 in its place—the respiratory tract—and out of the central nervous system.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2024
Coughing a lot for long periods can also be a symptom of a health condition, such as COPD or GERD, or a respiratory tract infection.
—Claire Gillespie, Health, 17 Mar. 2024
In the respiratory tract, the evolved nasal and oral plugs protect the airways from water when the marine mammal breathes and eats.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
Since dogs cool themselves primarily through their respiratory tract, the compressed tissues in the airways of bulldog breeds limit air exchange and reduce their cooling ability dramatically.
—Patty Khuly, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'respiratory tract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1842, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of respiratory tract was
in 1842
Dictionary Entries Near respiratory tract
Cite this Entry
“Respiratory tract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respiratory%20tract. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Medical Definition
respiratory tract
noun
: a system of organs functioning in respiration and in humans consisting especially of the nose, nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs : respiratory system see lower respiratory tract, upper respiratory tract
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