Esophagus
/ɪˈsɑː.fə.ɡəs/noun
The muscular tube that carries food and liquid from the throat to the stomach.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek medical language and is built from roots meaning “to carry” and “to eat,” showing how ancient anatomy was literally described as a passage for food.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
oisophágos / oisophágos
“the gullet or passage for food”
Classical Greek
Greek
oisophageîn
“to carry food into the stomach; to swallow”
Late Latin
Latin
oesophagus
“the gullet”
Middle English
English
esofage
“the gullet or food pipe”
Modern English
English
esophagus
“the muscular tube from throat to stomach”