trachea

noun

tra·​chea ˈtrā-kē-ə 

plural tracheae ˈtrā-kē-ˌē 

-kē-ˌī

also tracheas or trachea

1

: the main trunk of the system of tubes by which air passes to and from the lungs in vertebrates

2

[New Latin, from Medieval Latin] : vessel sense 3b

also : one of its constituent cellular elements

3

[New Latin] : one of the air-conveying tubules forming the respiratory system of most insects and many other arthropods

tracheal

ˈtrā-kē-əl 

adjective

Examples of trachea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many of the cancers that were found to be among this unusually younger group were of the breast, trachea, lung, bowel, and stomach. —Heather Hunter, Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2023

There are two kinds of choke holds: a blood choke, which closes the carotid artery in the neck and cuts off blood supply to the brain; and an air choke, which closes the trachea and stops breathing. —Alex Thomas, The New Republic, 9 June 2023

How to Control Bleeding First Aid for Choking Choking happens when a person’s windpipe (trachea) gets blocked by food or an object. —Michael Menna, Verywell Health, 5 June 2023

To add insult to injury, patient Gabe (Juan Carlos Cantu), who had been previously hospitalized at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital with COVID-19 and was one of Nic’s patients, was admitted again with permanent trachea damage from his recent experience. —Danielle Turchiano, Variety, 5 Oct. 2021

Subglottic identified the location in the trachea, just below the vocal cords. —Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 6 Apr. 2023

Among the most important, the horse's size, muscle mass, length of legs, chest size, the legs' proportion to the rest of the body and the trachea to make sure the wind pipe can get enough air. Richey also likes to watch the horse run to make sure its legs are trotting straight, not wobbling. —Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Oct. 2020

These devices use a mobile compressor to assist with the patient’s breathing by pushing air through a tube placed in the trachea to expand the lungs. —IEEE Spectrum, 29 May 2020

Eventually a 5 cm long living leech was smoothly removed from trachea by rigid bronchoscopy under sevoflurane general anesthesia. —Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2016

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin trachia, from Greek tracheia (artēria) rough (artery), from feminine of trachys rough

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

trachea

noun

tra·​chea ˈtrā-kē-ə 

plural tracheae -kē-ˌē 

-kē-ˌī

also tracheas or trachea

1

: the main part of the system of tubes by which air passes to and from the lungs in vertebrates

called also windpipe

2

: one of the tiny air-carrying tubes that form the respiratory system of most insects and many other land-dwelling arthropods (as spiders)

tracheal

-kē-əl 

adjective

Medical Definition

trachea

noun

tra·​chea

ˈtrā-kē-ə, British also trə-ˈkē-ə

plural tracheae -kē-ˌē  also tracheas

: the main trunk of the system of tubes by which air passes to and from the lungs that is about four inches (10 centimeters) long and somewhat less than an inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter, extends down the front of the neck from the larynx, divides in two to form the bronchi, has walls of fibrous and muscular tissue stiffened by incomplete cartilaginous rings which keep it from collapsing, and is lined with mucous membrane whose epithelium is composed of columnar ciliated mucus-secreting cells

called also windpipe