Fistula
/ˈfɪs.tʃə.lə/noun
A tube or abnormal passage in the body, or a pipe-like channel in general.
Did you know?Latin fistula originally meant a pipe or reed tube, and the same root also gave English one of the most iconic words for a musical instrument: flute.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peis-
“to split, cut, or pierce”
Latin
Latin
fistula
“a tube, pipe, reed, or channel”
Late Latin
Latin
fistula
“an abnormal bodily passage or channel”
Middle English
English
fistule
“a pipe-like passage or ulcer”
Modern English
English
fistula
“a tube or abnormal passage in the body, or a pipe-like channel in general”