cochlea

Meaning

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. A spiral-shaped shell, especially that of a snail.

Synonyms

clam

mussel

scallop

screw

shellfish

snail

🐌

escallop

scollop

shell stitch

acoustic labyrinth

Translations

cochlée

Schnecke

🐌

coclea

limaçon

🐌

cóclea

κοχλίας

còclea

cóclea

Hörschnecke

Cochlea

caracol

🐌

Kochlea

Ohrschnecke

caracol

🐌

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɒk.li.ə/

Etymology

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