cochlea

/ˈkɑk.li.ə/

UK: /ˈkɒk.li.ə/

KⱭK · li · ə (3 syllables)

English Noun

Definition

The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cochlea (“a snail”), from Ancient Greek κόχλιας (kókhlias, “a snail with a spiral shell”).