noun
trachea
truh-KEE-uh
noun
1
The windpipe: the tube that carries air from the throat down to the lungs.
"A blocked trachea can make breathing extremely difficult."
How to Use Trachea
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe windpipe, the airway between your throat and lungs.
Common mistake
Don't confuse it with the esophagus, which carries food to the stomach rather than air to the lungs.
Easily confused with
esophagus
Word Forms
tracheae plural, tracheæ plural, tracheas plural
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A blocked _____ can make breathing extremely difficult.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin trachea, from Greek trakheia artēria, literally "rough artery" — a reference to the ridged texture of its cartilage rings.