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Glite Dictionary
bony labyrinth

bony labyrinth

9.5
A hollow part of the skull bone that holds and protects the inner ear
  • noun
  • /ˈboʊni ˈlæbəˌrɪnθ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : laberinto óseo
  • The bony labyrinth consists of intricate channels that house the inner ear's membranous labyrinth.

Examples

  • The bony labyrinth protects the delicate structures of the inner ear.

  • In mastoid osteomas involving the facial canal or bony labyrinth, complete removal of the lesion is not recommended because damage to the structures is likely.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Surgeons must be careful when operating near the bony labyrinth to avoid damaging hearing.

Synonyms

labyrinth
vsbony labyrinth
  • Specialized
1 8.4

Small connected spaces in the inner ear that help a person hear and keep balance

refers specifically to the petrous bone cavity that houses the membranous structures
osseous labyrinth
vsbony labyrinth
  • Specialized
9.9

A bony space in the skull that holds and protects the inner ear

is the more common adjective form rather than the technical one

Surface Forms

bony labyrinth singular
bony labyrinths plural

Morphology

bony + labyrinth

The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'bony' (made of bone) modifies 'labyrinth' (the anatomical inner-ear cavities), so the meaning 'the labyrinth made of or housed in bone' is directly derivable from the parts. Although it is a technical anatomical term, its semantics follow regular composition, making it understandable to a learner who knows both constituent word meanings.

Etymology

The name bony labyrinth paints a simple picture: bony means made of bone and labyrinth means a 'maze', so it is a hard, maze-like set of passages inside the skull. This bone 'maze' holds and helps 'protect' the delicate parts of the inner ear, so the phrase refers to the ear cavity that contains those structures.