Meaning & use

esophagus

noun·Academic

The muscular tube that carries food and liquid from the throat to the stomach.

See it in a sentence

Food travels down the esophagus through a series of muscle contractions called peristalsis.

The doctor examined his esophagus after he reported difficulty swallowing.

A note on using this word

American English spells it esophagus, while British English uses oesophagus; both refer to the same body part.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “esophagus”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.