cochlea
noun/ˈkɒkliə/
/ˈkəʊkliə/, /ˈkɑːkliə/
(plural cochleae
(anatomy)/ˈkɒkliiː/
/ˈkəʊkliiː/, /ˈkɑːkliiː/
)- a small curved tube inside the ear that contains a small part that sends nerve signals to the brain when sounds cause it to vibrateTopics Bodyc2Word Originmid 16th cent. (used to denote spiral objects): from Latin, ‘snail shell or screw’, from Greek kokhlias. The current sense dates from the late 17th cent.
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cochlea