cochlea
The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.
Other meanings
A spiral-shaped shell, especially that of a snail.
A kind of
- tube
Related words
- cochleitis
- cochlear
Word history
From Ancient Greek "κόχλιας" (a snail with a spiral shell).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “cochlea” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.