cochlea

noun — 2 senses

cochlea

noun

UK /ˈkɒk.li.ə/ · US /ˈkoʊ.kli.ə/

Etymology Borrowed from Latin cochlea (“a snail”), from Ancient Greek κόχλιας (kókhlias, “a snail with a spiral shell”).

Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.

A spiral-shaped shell, especially that of a snail.

Derived terms: cochlear, cochleitis

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.