Adenoides

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mass of lymphatic tissue located at the back of the nasal cavity that helps in immune response
2. The enlarged form of this tissue can lead to breathing difficulties
3. A structure that can become inflamed, often causing obstructive symptoms in children

Etymology: "Adenoides" is a Latinized form built from Greek roots, and the word has no earlier life as a common term. The Greek "adēn" means "gland," and "eidos" means "form" or "resemblance," so the name literally describes something gland-like. Anatomists applied it to the mass of lymphoid tissue at the back of the nasal cavity, where it sits behind the nose above the throat. The structure itself is a cluster of lymphoid tissue, part of the immune system's defences against airborne germs. Because it sits where air, mucus and infection meet, it can swell when it fights off repeated infections. In young children, whose airways are narrow and whose tissue is especially active, that swelling can block breathing through the nose, which is why the structure is so often discussed in relation to snoring and mouth breathing.

Synonyms: adenoids, pharyngeal tonsils, lymphatic tissue, tonsils, nasopharyngeal tonsils