English Reference
noun

throat

n.
US /ˈθɹoʊt/ UK /θɹˈəʊt/ throat UK spelling throats

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate Medicine

    the passage in the neck through which food and air pass.

    the passage from the back of the mouth to the lungs and stomach, including the pharynx and esophagus.

    Simple

    She had a sore throat and found it difficult to swallow her tea.

    In context

    The doctor examined the patient's throat for signs of inflammation or bacterial infection before prescribing antibiotics.

    gulletpharynx
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    the front part of the neck.

    the anterior portion of the neck, containing the structures for breathing and swallowing.

    Simple

    He wrapped a warm scarf around his throat to protect himself from the cold wind.

    In context

    The athlete felt a sudden constriction in his throat as the adrenaline of the final lap took hold.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical Technical

    a narrow passage or opening in an object, like a chimney or a bottle.

    a narrow or constricted part of a passage, vessel, or architectural feature.

    Simple

    The worker cleaned the throat of the chimney to make sure the smoke could escape.

    In context

    Engineers modified the throat of the nozzle to increase the velocity of the fluid as it exited the chamber.

    neckopeningconstriction
  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    the opening of a tubular flower.

    the opening of a tubular corolla or calyx in a flower.

    Simple

    The bee crawled deep into the throat of the flower to reach the nectar.

    In context

    The botanical illustration clearly marked the throat of the corolla, highlighting the unique patterns that attract specific pollinators.

    faucesorifice

From Middle English throte, from Old English þrote, þrota, þrotu (“throat”), from Proto-West Germanic þrotu, from Proto-Germanic þrutō (“throat”), from Proto-Indo-European *trud- (“to swell, become stiff”). Cognate with Dutch strot (“throat”), German Drossel (“throttle, gorge of game (wild animals)”), Faroese troti (“swelling”), Icelandic þroti (“swelling”), Norwegian trut (“mouth”), Swedish trut.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *trud-
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated