otolith

noun

oto·​lith ˈō-tə-ˌlith 

: a calcareous concretion in the inner ear of a vertebrate

otolithic

ˌō-tə-ˈli-thik 

adjective

Examples of otolith in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The fish were deemed to be 50 years old when biologists collected their otoliths, or ear bones, to age them. — Mike McFeely, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026

Instead, there’s something specific to running’s up-and-down motion that seems to make your brain pay less attention to motion signals from your otoliths. — Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025

To uncover the reason behind the dramatic drop in cod size, researchers analyzed 152 fish otoliths—tiny, bone-like structures found in the inner ear—that were collected from eastern Baltic cod harvested between 1996 and 2019. — Amber X. Chen, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025

Kitchin believes that lateral movement of the sort involved in rollerblading and skiing stimulates the otolith, a piece of calcium carbonate that sits on a person’s inner ear and triggers feelings of flow and euphoria. — Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024

An otolith is an inner ear bone found in salmon and other fish that develops a new layer each year. — Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 30 July 2022

For years, scientists have used an inner ear bone called an otolith to estimate the lifespan of fish. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 6 Apr. 2020

Word History

Etymology

French otolithe, from ot- + -lithe -lith

First Known Use

circa 1836, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

otolith

noun

oto·​lith ˈōt-ᵊl-ˌith 

: a calcareous concretion in the inner ear of a vertebrate or in the otocyst of an invertebrate that is especially conspicuous in many bony fishes where it forms a hard body and in most of the higher vertebrates where it is represented by a mass of small calcareous otoconia

called also statolith

otolithic

ˌōt-ᵊl-ˈith-ik 

adjective