trachea

noun tra·chea \ ˈtrā-kē-ə \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of trachea

plural tracheae play \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

[New Latin, from Medieval Latin]

: vessel 3b; also : one of its constituent cellular elements

[New Latin]

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

—

tracheal

play \ˈtrā-kē-əl\ adjective

See trachea defined for English-language learners

See trachea defined for kids

Recent Examples of trachea from the Web

So would head and neck surgeon Pierre Delaere of the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, a ferocious critic of the trachea transplants long before Macchiarini's downfall.

— matt warren, Science | AAAS, "Two controversial stem cell trials could harm patients, critics say," 29 Mar. 2018
Almost immediately after she was born, Layla was intubated, a tube threaded through her trachea so a machine could pump oxygen into her lungs.

— jessica valenti, Marie Claire, "If Republicans Are Pro-Life, Why Don't They Care About My Child?," 23 June 2017
The pasta’s quill-like form and perpendicular ridges are said to resemble the cartilaginous rings in a chicken’s trachea.

— AJC.com, "Fill up on this Old Fourth Ward pasta dish, back by popular demand," 24 Feb. 2018
DaShawn Horne remains at Harborview Medical Center after doctors removed part of his brain to relieve swelling and performed surgery on his trachea.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Black Man in ICU After One-Night Stand’s Racist Brother Attacks Him With Bat," 31 Jan. 2018
The lifespan of an infant born without a trachea is measured in minutes.

— crocker stephenson, USA TODAY, "Surgery enabled the first American to survive birth without a trachea to breathe. Now he can eat.," 18 Dec. 2017
My watch feels heavy on my wrist, and breathing gets harder as the G forces clamp down on my trachea.

— scott kelly, Smithsonian, "Scott Kelly’s Journey Home After His Year in Space," 30 Sep. 2017
The Accord had been fixed up and sold to the family of 19-year-old Karina Dorado, whose trachea was punctured by shrapnel spewed by the faulty air bag.

— tom krisher, The Seattle Times, "How a dangerous Takata air bag made its way into a used car," 22 Aug. 2017
The Accord had been fixed up and sold in March of 2016 to the family of Karina Dorado, a 19-year-old woman whose trachea was punctured by shrapnel spewed by the faulty air bag.

— tom krishner, USA TODAY, "Recalled Takata air bags showing up in used cars, lawsuit alleges," 22 Aug. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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TRACHEA Defined for English Language Learners

trachea

noun

Definition of trachea for English Language Learners

medical : a long tube in your neck and chest that carries air into and out of your lungs

TRACHEA Defined for Kids

trachea

noun tra·chea \ ˈtrā-kē-ə \

Definition of trachea for Students

plural 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

trachea

noun tra·chea \ ˈtrā-kē-ə, British also trə-ˈkē-ə \

medical Definition of trachea

plural tracheae play \-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