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Glite Dictionary
upper respiratory tract

upper respiratory tract

1 4.1
The part of the breathing system that includes the nose, throat, and windpipe
  • noun
  • /ˈʌpər ˌrɛspəˈrɑɪtəri træk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vías respiratorias superiores
  • Every year, the average adult in the United States contracts two to three upper respiratory tract infections.
  • upper respiratory tract infection
  • upper respiratory tract symptoms
  • upper respiratory tract secretions

If you have some minor infectious thing in your upper respiratory tract that you've only had for one or two or three days, give it time to run its course.

Examples

  • Incident rates of upper respiratory tract infections have been reported to be higher in children who attend daycare.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Streptococcal pharyngitis is a frequent cause of bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Extrapleural sites have also been identified, including the upper respiratory tract.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Such recurrences generally take place within 1 year, and they are often associated with an upper respiratory tract infection.

    Academic text (2010)

  • A 3-year-old Native American boy was brought to a family physician with symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection and increasing fever.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Overcrowded living conditions and colder weather help facilitate an increase in upper respiratory tract infections, leading to outbreaks.

    Academic text (2011)

  • A sore throat is not uncommon and may mislead you into diagnosing an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).

    Academic text (2014)

  • Blocked nose: A snuffly baby with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) may become chronically distressed.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The most frequently reported infections resulting in dose interruption were upper respiratory tract infection (1%), bronchitis, and herpes zoster (both <1%).

    Academic text (2007)

  • A cold is a viral illness of the upper respiratory tract that affects breathing.

Surface Forms

upper respiratory tract singular
upper respiratory tracts plural

Morphology

upper + respiratory + tract

The meaning is directly compositional: 'upper' (toward the top) + 'respiratory' (relating to breathing) + 'tract' (a bodily passage/system) yield the part of the respiratory system toward the top (nose, throat). This standard noun-compound pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Upper respiratory tract comes from its parts: upper meaning the top, respiratory meaning 'breathing', and tract meaning a 'path'. Picture the nose, throat and windpipe as the top path air takes before the lungs, so the phrase refers to that top part of the breathing system.