concha
UK /ˈkɒŋ.kə/ · US /ˈkɑŋ.kə/ noun
Forms conchae conchæ conchas
- noun Any shell-shaped structure:
- noun (anatomy) The deepest indentation of the cartilage of the human ear, attaching to the mastoid bone and leading to its central opening.
- noun (architecture) An apse, or the plain semidome of an apse.
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin concha (“a mussel shell”). Doublet of conch.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The plain semidome of an apse; sometimes used for the entire apse.
- noun The external ear; esp. the largest and deepest concavity of the external ear, surrounding the entrance to the auditory canal.
Etymology [LL. (in sense 1), fr. concha. See Conch.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “concha”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details