acoustic meatus
- noun
- /əˈkuːstɪk ˈmiːətəs/
- Specialized
:
meato acústico
- A blockage in the acoustic meatus can lead to hearing loss.
Examples
-
MRI shows the 8-mm enhancing nodule in the right acoustic meatus.
Academic text (2004) -
Caution should especially be applied in the anterior epitympanic area of the mastoid; many surgeons are unfamiliar with the anatomy of the facial nerve in its course from the internal acoustic meatus.
Academic text (1996) -
In addition, cholesteatoma may extend into the geniculate ganglion and the internal acoustic meatus.
Academic text (1996) -
The doctor examined the patient's ear and found fluid in the acoustic meatus.
-
After cleaning his ears, he noticed a change in sound quality through the acoustic meatus.
Synonyms
3
3.4
A narrow tube in the outer ear that leads to the eardrum
1
4.9
A tube in the outer ear that leads to the eardrum
1
8.6
A passage in the outer ear from the ear opening to the eardrum
A tube in the outer ear that leads to the eardrum
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'acoustic' means relating to sound/hearing and 'meatus' means an anatomical passage, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a passage related to hearing (i.e., the ear canal). Although the term is technical/medical, its meaning follows transparent lexical components and similar Latin-based formations in other languages, making it predictable for learners who know the parts.
Etymology
Acoustic meatus comes from two old words: acoustic meaning 'sound' and meatus meaning 'passage'. Picture a small passage that carries sound from the 'outer ear' to the 'eardrum', so the name simply describes the ear passage that leads to the eardrum.