esophagus

noun

esoph·​a·​gus i-ˈsä-fə-gəs How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
plural esophagi i-ˈsä-fə-ˌgī How to pronounce esophagus (audio) -ˌjī How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
: a muscular tube that conveys food from the mouth to the stomach and that in humans is about nine inches (23 centimeters) long and passes from the pharynx down the neck between the trachea and the spinal column and behind the left bronchus where it pierces the diaphragm slightly to the left of the middle line and joins the cardiac end of the stomach
esophageal adjective

Examples of esophagus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The gastrointestinal tract atlas, which includes the tissues of the mouth through to the esophagus, stomach, intestines and colon, was created with data from 1.6 million cells and revealed a cell type that might play a role in chronic conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. Katie Hunt, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024 More recently, they have been linked with cancers in other parts of the body, such as the esophagus, stomach, and skin. Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024 For cancer and certain other cases, resection involves removing all or part of the stomach (gastrectomy) or esophagus (esophagectomy). Mark Gurarie, Health, 2 Nov. 2024 During the procedure, the doctors took biopsies and excavated the debris from my esophagus. Rachel S. Hunt, Washington Post, 6 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for esophagus 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ysophagus, from Medieval Latin ysofugus, from Greek oisophagos, from oisein to be going to carry + phagein to eat — more at baksheesh

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of esophagus was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near esophagus

Cite this Entry

“Esophagus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esophagus. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

esophagus

noun
esoph·​a·​gus i-ˈsäf-ə-gəs How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
plural esophagi -ˌgī How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
-ˌjī
: a muscular tube that leads from the cavity behind the mouth to the stomach
esophageal adjective

Medical Definition

esophagus

noun
esoph·​a·​gus
variants or chiefly British oesophagus
plural esophagi -ˌgī How to pronounce esophagus (audio) -ˌjī How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
: a muscular tube that in adult humans is about nine inches (23 centimeters) long and passes from the pharynx down the neck between the trachea and the spinal column and behind the left bronchus where it pierces the diaphragm slightly to the left of the middle line and joins the cardiac end of the stomach

More from Merriam-Webster on esophagus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!