saccule
/ˈsæk.juːl/ noun
Forms saccules sacculus
- noun (biology, anatomy) A small sac, pouch, or cyst.
- noun (anatomy) The smaller of the two fluid-filled sacs forming part of the labyrinth of the inner ear (the other being the utricle). It contains a region of hair cells and otoliths which send signals to the brain concerning the orientation of the head.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin sacculus (“a little sack or bag”), diminutive of saccus (“a bag, sack”). Doublet of sacculus.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A little sac; specifically, the sacculus of the ear.
Etymology [L. sacculus, dim. of saccus sack.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “saccule”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details