hili

Meanings

1. 1nounpluraltechnicalmedical

   The small marks or hollows on organs or seeds where tubes, nerves, or stalks join them.

   Grammar: Plural of hilum; takes a plural verb, as in the hili lie close together.

   Patterns

   • the hili of the lungs
   • the hili of a seed
   • enlarged hili

   On the chest X-ray, both hili looked normal.

   The hili of the lungs are where the airways and blood vessels enter.

   A botanist can find the hili on the surface of a bean seed.

2. 2nounpluralmedicalspecialist

   The points on each lung where the main airway and blood vessels go in and out.

   Grammar: Usually used with the definite article: the hili.

   Patterns

   • the hili of the lungs
   • the lung hili
   • the hili appear on a scan

   The radiologist checked the hili for any swelling.

   Swollen hili can be a sign of infection in the chest.

   The scan showed the hili clearly on both sides.

3. 3nounpluraltechnicalbiology

   The scar-like spots on seeds that show where they were joined to the plant.

   Grammar: A technical plural; the singular hilum refers to one such spot.

   Patterns

   • the hili of seeds
   • the hili of a bean
   • seed hili

   Each of the seeds had dark hili along one edge.

   You can see the hili as a pale oval mark on the bean.

   The hili mark where the seeds once hung inside the pod.

Word forms

Common combinations

the hili of the lungs

The doctor studied the hili of the lungs on the X-ray.

enlarged hili

Enlarged hili may point to an infection.

the hili of a seed

The hili of a seed shows where it was attached to the fruit.

hili on a chest X-ray

The hili on a chest X-ray can be hard to see clearly.

swollen hili

Swollen hili are often checked during a routine scan.

the hili appear

In this image, the hili appear on both sides of the chest.

Synonyms and how they differ

hilums

The regular English plural; it is more common in everyday speech, while hili is kept for technical writing.

Word family

hilum noun

The singular form: one small mark or hollow where something joins.

hilar adjective

Relating to a hilum, as in hilar lymph nodes near the lung.

Commonly confused: hili or hill? hili or hilly?

Practice

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