Meatus
/miˈeɪtəs/noun
An anatomical passage or opening, especially one leading into a canal or cavity.
Did you know?Latin meatus originally meant a passage or going-through, which is why anatomy uses it for openings such as the auditory and urinary canals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mey-
“To go, move, or pass from one place to another”
Classical Latin
Latin
meare
“To pass, go, or flow through”
Classical Latin
Latin
meatus
“A passage, going, or pathway”
17th Century
English
meatus
“An anatomical passage or opening”
Modern English
English
meatus
“A bodily canal or aperture, especially one leading into another passage”