Main Entry:

esoph·a·gus

Pronunciation:

\i-ˈsä-fə-gəs\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural esoph·a·gi \-ˌgī, -ˌjī\

Etymology:

Middle English ysophagus, from Medieval Latin ysofugus, from Greek oisophagos, from oisein to be going to carry + phagein to eat — more at baksheesh

Date:

14th century

: a muscular tube that in humans is about nine inches (23 centimeters) long and passes from the pharynx down the neck between the trachea and the spinal column and behind the left bronchus where it pierces the diaphragm slightly to the left of the middle line and joins the cardiac end of the stomach

— esoph·a·ge·al \i-ˌsä-fə-ˈjē-əl\ adjective