utricle
noun
utri·cle
ˈyü-tri-kəl 
: any of various small pouches or saccate parts of an animal or plant: such as
a
: the part of the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear into which the semicircular canals open
b
: a small usually indehiscent one-seeded fruit with thin membranous pericarp
Examples of utricle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The saccule and utricle detect acceleration and tilting.
—
Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2023
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
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
Happily, the Epley maneuver, a series of head-turning movements, can diminish the vertigo by enlisting gravity to coax a wayward otolith back into the utricle.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2021
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2023
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
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
Happily, the Epley maneuver, a series of head-turning movements, can diminish the vertigo by enlisting gravity to coax a wayward otolith back into the utricle.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2021
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
Cite this Entry
“Utricle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utricle. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
utricle
noun
utri·cle
ˈyü-tri-kəl
: a small anatomical pouch: as
a
: the part of the membranous labyrinth of the ear into which the semicircular canals open and that contains the macula utriculi
called also utriculus
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share