Definition of trachea
tracheae
play \-kē-ˌē, -kē-ˌī\ alsotracheas
ortrachea
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 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
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Recent Examples of trachea from the Web
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As one doctor describes it on her blog, drowning happens when someone aspirates, which is the technical term for something passing the trachea into the lungs.
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His trachea was not fully developed, a condition called tracheomalacia.
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In his new comment on Fitch and colleagues' paper, Lieberman cited Charles Darwin, who reflected on the perilous position of our trachea in 1859: Food has to pass over our windpipe.
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Almost immediately after she was born, Layla was intubated, a tube threaded through her trachea so a machine could pump oxygen into her lungs.
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Hoyne, 23, was born in New York with an abnormal connection between his esophagus and trachea, the passageways that carry food to the stomach and air to the lungs, respectively.
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Maverick Forbes, 15, has a tube in his trachea that prevents him from talking or eating.
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Maverick’s trachea was almost severed and he was taken into surgery Wednesday morning.
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The tube is placed inside the trachea and a bag is attached.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trachea.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of trachea
Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin trachia, from Greek tracheia (artēria) rough (artery), from feminine of trachys rough
TRACHEA Defined for English Language Learners
trachea
playDefinition of trachea for English Language Learners
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medical : a long tube in your neck and chest that carries air into and out of your lungs
TRACHEA Defined for Kids
trachea
playDefinition of trachea for Students
tracheae
\-kē-ˌē\1 : a stiff-walled tube of the respiratory system that connects the pharynx with the lungs
2 : a breathing tube of an insect that connects with the outside of the body and carries oxygen directly to the cells
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of trachea
tracheae
\-kē-ˌē\play alsotracheas
: 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
Illustration of trachea
Learn More about trachea
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Spanish Central: Translation of trachea Nglish: Translation of trachea for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of trachea for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trachea
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