Meaning & use
thorax
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnicalmedical
The part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, containing the heart and lungs.
Grammar: Countable: one thorax, two thoraxes. Often used in medical or anatomical contexts.
Patterns
- the human thorax
- a thorax injury
- the thorax contains something
The X-ray showed a fracture in the thorax.
The thorax protects the heart and lungs.
She felt a sharp pain in her thorax after the fall.
nouncountabletechnicalbiology
The middle section of an insect's body, between the head and the abdomen, where the legs and wings are attached.
Grammar: Countable: an insect has one thorax. In entomology, it is often divided into three segments.
Patterns
- the insect thorax
- the thorax of an insect
- legs attach to the thorax
The bee's wings are attached to its thorax.
The thorax of a beetle is covered by a hard shell.
Entomologists study the thorax to identify insect species.
Word forms
| plural | thoraxes |
|---|---|
| plural | thoraces |
Common combinations
- thorax injury
- He suffered a thorax injury in the car accident.
- thorax cavity
- The thorax cavity houses the lungs and heart.
- insect thorax
- The insect thorax is divided into three parts.
- thorax X-ray
- The doctor ordered a thorax X-ray to check for pneumonia.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chest
- The everyday word for the front part of the body between the neck and abdomen; 'thorax' is more technical and includes the whole cavity.
Word family
Commonly confused: thorax or abdomen?
thorax vs abdomen
The abdomen is the part below the thorax, containing the stomach and intestines; do not confuse the two regions.
Practice
In an insect, which body part is the thorax?
Choose one answer.
The thorax is the middle section of an insect's body, between the head and the abdomen. The head is at the front, the abdomen at the rear, and wings are attached to the thorax.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thorax”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.