nasal meatus
- noun
- /ˈneɪ.zəl ˈmiː.təs/
- Specialized
- There are three main nasal meatuses in the human anatomy.
Examples
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The superior nasal meatus is located between the superior and middle nasal conchae.
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Inflammation of a nasal meatus can lead to breathing difficulties.
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Doctors examined the nasal meatus for signs of infection during the sinus examination.
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The nasal meatus plays a crucial role in airflow.
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Doctors examined the nasal meatus for signs of infection during the sinus examination.
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Inflammation of a nasal meatus can lead to breathing difficulties.
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The superior nasal meatus is located between the superior and middle nasal conchae.
Synonyms
A natural opening or narrow passage in the body, for example the ear
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'nasal' (relating to the nose) + 'meatus' (an anatomical passage) yields 'a passage in the nasal cavity.' Although 'meatus' is somewhat technical, if a learner knows both constituents the overall sense follows straightforwardly; similar compound noun patterns exist cross-linguistically, supporting transparency.
Etymology
Nasal meatus comes from Latin words: nasal means 'nose' and meatus means 'passage'. So the phrase gives a clear image of a small 'passage' inside the nose, which is why doctors use it for the narrow channels there.