saccule

noun

sac·cule ˈsa-(ˌ)kyül

: a little sac

specifically : the smaller chamber of the membranous labyrinth of the ear

Examples of saccule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The saccule and utricle, two chambers in the inner ear, detect the direction of gravity and help the body to balance. —

Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023 The saccule and utricle detect acceleration and tilting. —

Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2023 If the cochlea were a snail’s shell, the vestibular organs—the saccule, the utricle, and three semicircular canals—would make up the snail’s body. —

Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2023 Linear motion is detected by the utricle and its partner bulge, the saccule. —

Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2021 In those individuals, Balaban says, further tests implicated damage to the ear's otolith organs, the utricle and the saccule, key to sensing gravity. —

Richard Stone, Science | AAAS, 20 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saccule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.