noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.
2. 2
   the snail-shaped tube (in the inner ear coiled around the modiolus) where sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses by the organ of Corti wordnet
3. 3
   A spiral-shaped shell, especially that of a snail.

Synonyms

All synonyms

anvilearear lobeeardrumhammerlobe

Example

More examples

"Decision to disallow Medicaid for second cochlea implant withdrawn."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cochlea (“a snail”), from Ancient Greek κόχλιας (kókhlias, “a snail with a spiral shell”).

Related phrases

inner ear

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.