Main Entry: am·pul·la

Pronunciation: \am-ˈpu̇-lə, ˈam-ˌpyü-lə\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural am·pul·lae \-ˌlē\

: a saccular anatomic swelling or pouch: as a : the dilatation containing a patch of sensory epithelium at one end of each semicircular canal of the ear b : one of the dilatations of the lactiferous tubules of the mammary glands that serve as reservoirs for milk c (1) : the middle portion of the fallopian tube (2) : the distal dilatation of a vas deferens near the opening of the duct leading from the seminal vesicle d : a terminal dilatation of the rectum just before it joins the anal canal