cochlea

noun co·chlea \ ˈkō-klē-ə , ˈkä-klē- \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of cochlea

plural cochleas or cochleae play \-klē-ˌē, -ˌī\

: a hollow tube in the inner ear of higher vertebrates that is usually coiled like a snail shell and contains the sensory organ of hearing — see ear illustration

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cochlear

play \ˈkō-klē-ər, ˈkä-\ adjective

See cochlea defined for English-language learners

See cochlea defined for kids

Recent Examples of cochlea from the Web

Within the cochlea, hair cells rest on an organic platform known as the basilar membrane that is floppy and wide on one end and narrow and taut on the other.

— justin chen, STAT, "Pulses of light restored hearing in gerbils. Could that lead to higher-tech cochlear implants?," 11 July 2018
Before a note of music is piped into your ears, Nuraphones analyze your hearing much the way infants’ ears are tested—with sonar-sensitive microphones and software that measure the vibrations from your cochlea.

— matthew kronsberg, WSJ, "Smart Headphones Tailor Made to Your Sense of Hearing," 20 June 2018
This band is nothing short of a national treasure, deftly able to smash politics, poetry, and power chords into a severe beating that feels like a warm hug (and proceeds to hang out on the couch of your cochlea for a few days afterward).

— michael andor brodeur, BostonGlobe.com, "The Weekender: Kennedys, Wallendas, and Nervous Eaters," 5 Apr. 2018
These vibrations make fluid inside your cochlea move, stimulating tiny hair cells that send nerve impulses to the brain via the auditory nerve.

— amber brenza, SELF, "Why Do My Earbuds Always Fall Out?," 4 Feb. 2018
On Monday morning, Trump brought his cochlea to the Roosevelt Room of the White House for another listening session, this time on health care.

— katy waldman, Slate Magazine, "How Good a Listener Is Donald Trump?," 14 Mar. 2017
Cochlear implantation is an invasive surgery that places an implant into the cochlea, the spiral within the inner ear that contains the primary organ for hearing.

— michelle w., Longreads, "Playing Football to the Beat of Their Own, Literal Drummer," 15 May 2017
Cochlear implantation is an invasive surgery that places an implant into the cochlea, the spiral within the inner ear that contains the primary organ for hearing.

— michelle w., Longreads, "Playing Football to the Beat of Their Own, Literal Drummer," 15 May 2017
Cochlear implantation is an invasive surgery that places an implant into the cochlea, the spiral within the inner ear that contains the primary organ for hearing.

— michelle w., Longreads, "Playing Football to the Beat of Their Own, Literal Drummer," 15 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cochlea.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cochlea

New Latin, from Latin, snail, snail shell, from Greek kochlias, from kochlos snail; probably akin to Greek konchē mussel

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First Known Use: 1688

in the meaning defined above

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COCHLEA Defined for English Language Learners

cochlea

noun

Definition of cochlea for English Language Learners

: the part of the inner ear that contains the endings of the nerve that carries information about sound to the brain

COCHLEA Defined for Kids

cochlea

noun co·chlea \ ˈkō-klē-ə , ˈkä- \

Definition of cochlea for Students

plural cochleas or cochleae \-ˌē, -ˌī\

: a coiled tube in the inner part of the ear that contains the endings of the nerve which carries information about sound to the brain

Medical Dictionary

cochlea

noun co·chle·a \ ˈkō-klē-ə , ˈkäk-lē- \

medical Definition of cochlea

plural cochleas or cochleae play \ˈkō-klē-ˌē, ˈkäk-lē-ˌē, -ˌī\

: 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

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