cochlea

co·chle·a

noun \ˈkō-klē-ə, ˈkäk-lē-\

plural co·chle·as or co·chle·ae \ˈkō-klē-ˌē, ˈkäk-lē-ˌē, -ˌī\

Definition of COCHLEA

: a division of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear coiled into the form of a snail shell and consisting of a spiral canal in the petrous part of the temporal bone in which lies a smaller membranous spiral passage that communicates with the saccule at the base of the spiral, ends blindly near its apex, and contains the organ of Corti

—co·chle·ar \ˈkō-klē-ər, ˈkäk-lē-ər\ adjective

Illustration of COCHLEA