pharyngeal
UK /fəˈɹɪn.d͡ʒi.əl/ · US /ˌfɛɹ.ənˈd͡ʒi.əl/ adjective
Forms pharyngeals pharyngal
- adjective (anatomy) Of or pertaining to the pharynx.
- adjective (phonetics) Articulated with the pharynx; a term usually describing a consonant which is articulated by the rear area of the tongue being raised to below the region between the uvula and the pharyngeal wall. The term cannot apply to a plosive or stop consonant.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Late Latin pharyngeus + -al, from pharynx (“the pharynx”) + -eus (adjectival suffix).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to the pharynx; in the region of the pharynx.
- noun A pharyngeal bone or cartilage; especially, one of the lower pharyngeals, which belong to the rudimentary fifth branchial arch in many fishes, or one of the upper pharyngeals, or pharyngobranchials, which are the dorsal elements in the complete branchial arches.
Etymology [See Pharynx.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pharyngeal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details