thorax

noun

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tho·rax | \ ˈthȯr-ˌaks

plural thoraxes or thoraces\ ˈthȯr-ə-ˌsēz

Definition of thorax

1 : the part of the vertebrate body between the neck and the abdomen If you count the vertebrae in the necks and thoraxes of mice and chickens, you will find that a mouse has seven neck and 13 thoracic vertebrae, a chicken 14 and seven, respectively.— Matt Ridley also : thoracic cavity The thorax is evaluated for fluid at the flanks and for pneumothorax anteriorly. — Christoper L. Moore

2 : the middle of the three chief divisions of the body of an insect Of nearly a million described species of insects, none has a biramous appendage, and nearly all have exactly three pairs of limbs on the thorax.— Stephen Jay Gould This haunting pitch issues from drum tissue stretched over the thorax of the male annual cicada …— Ted Williams also : the corresponding part of a crustacean or an arachnid The brown recluse spider … is brown and has fuzzy body hair and a dark violin- or pear-shaped band on the dorsum of its thorax. — Peter F. Weller

Examples of thorax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The dorsal side of her thorax is covered in bugs, perhaps parasites. — oregonlive, 1 May 2022 Soft airs possess the potency to mitigate the barbaric thorax. — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2021 Sánchez said the girl had been stabbed approximately 12 times in the area around her thorax, and the boy had 17 stab wounds in a similar area. — Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2021 This action also decreases the pressure in your thorax (space inside your rib cage), which creates the force that pulls air into your lungs — without requiring extra upper-body effort and upward movement. — Dana Santas, CNN, 23 June 2021 In certain side-impact crashes, the head-thorax air bag may not deploy as intended. — USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2021 Health authorities said the dead included Jack Pintado, 22, who was shot 11 times, including in the head, and Jordan Sotelo, 24, who was hit four times in the thorax near his heart. — Franklin Briceño And Christine Armario, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2020 Health authorities said the dead included Jack Pintado, 22, who was shot 11 times, including in the head, and Jordan Sotelo, 24, who was hit four times in the thorax near his heart. — Franklin Briceño And Christine Armario, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2020 Health authorities said the dead included Jack Pintado, 22, who was shot 11 times, including in the head, and Jordan Sotelo, 24, who was hit four times in the thorax near his heart. — Franklin Briceño And Christine Armario, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2020 See More

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

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Dictionary Entries Near thorax

thoracotomy

thorax

Thorazine

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Last Updated

14 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Thorax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorax. Accessed 28 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for thorax

thorax

noun

tho·rax | \ ˈthȯr-ˌaks

plural thoraxes or thoraces\ ˈthȯr-ə-ˌsēz \

Kids Definition of thorax

1 : the part of the body of a mammal that lies between the neck and the abdomen and contains the heart and lungs

2 : the middle of the three main divisions of the body of an insect

thorax

noun

tho·rax | \ ˈthō(ə)r-ˌaks, ˈthȯ(ə)r-

plural thoraxes or thoraces\ ˈthōr-ə-ˌsēz, ˈthȯr-

Medical Definition of thorax

1 : the part of the mammalian body that is situated between the neck and the abdomen and supported by the ribs, costal cartilages, and sternum also : thoracic cavity

2 : the middle of the three chief divisions of the body of an insect also : the corresponding part of a crustacean or an arachnid