Vomer
/ˈvoʊ.mər/noun
A thin, roughly quadrilateral bone forming part of the nasal septum.
Did you know?The anatomical name comes from Latin vomer, “plowshare,” a metaphor used because the bone resembles the blade of an agricultural plow.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wómh₁r̥
“Reconstructed term associated with a plowshare or cutting implement; the exact reconstruction is debated.”
Proto-Italic
Proto-Italic
*womēz
“Plowshare; an inherited agricultural implement name.”
Classical Latin
Latin
vomer
“Plowshare; also used metaphorically for the blade-shaped bone in the nose.”
16th Century
Medical Latin
vomer
“The nasal bone forming part of the septum, named for its resemblance to a plowshare.”
Modern English
English
vomer
“The thin bone dividing the nasal cavity into left and right passages.”
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