auditory canal
1
4.9
- noun
- /ˈɔːdɪtɔri kəˈnæl/
- Specialized
:
conducto auditivo
- Therefore, many topical medications designed for use in the external auditory canal are buffered to an acidic pH.
- the external auditory canal
- the internal auditory canal
- auditory canal atresia
Examples
-
Cold solutions placed in the external auditory canal can be quite uncomfortable, especially in children.
Academic text (2004) -
Patients may require surgical correction of the external ear, external auditory canal, choanae, or palate.
Academic text (2004) -
In affected patients, the tissue of the external auditory canal is edematous.
Academic text (2001) -
A probe could be passed from the posterior fossa to the external auditory canal.
Academic text (2008) -
The patients without a syndrome had isolated auditory canal atresia without anomalies in other parts of the body.
Academic text (1998) -
The temporal bone was then encased in dental cement with the external auditory canal remaining open.
Academic text (1998) -
Sensorineural hearing loss secondary to involvement of the otic capsule or internal auditory canal is less common.
Academic text (2008) -
As illustrated in this case, cholesteatoma can develop silently behind a stenotic external auditory canal.
Academic text (2008) -
The normal pH of the external auditory canal is acidic (pH: 6.1).
Academic text (2004) -
The doctor examined the patient's auditory canal to check for any signs of infection.
Synonyms
3
3.4
A narrow 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
A short passage in the outer ear leading to the eardrum
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the passage in the outer ear that leads to the eardrum' is directly and predictably derived from 'auditory' (related to hearing) + 'canal' (a passage). This noun–noun compound follows standard compositional and medical naming patterns and has close equivalents in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'canal auditivo'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Auditory canal paints a simple picture: auditory means 'hearing' and canal is like a small 'passage' or tube. So it names the narrow tunnel in the ear that carries sound to the eardrum, which is why it means the ear passage that leads to the eardrum.