Meaning & use

trachea

noun·Academic

The tube that carries air from the throat down to the lungs; the windpipe.

See it in a sentence

A piece of food lodged in his trachea, causing him to cough violently.

The surgeon inserted a tube directly into the patient's trachea to help him breathe.

A note on using this word

Trachea is the precise anatomical term; windpipe is the everyday equivalent used in casual speech.

Words with a similar meaning

windpipe

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

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