Bronchos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Anatomical tubes that branch from the trachea and lead directly into the lungs
2. Structures allowing airflow to and from the respiratory system, facilitating the process of breathing
3. Airways that play a crucial role in the distribution of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide from the body

Etymology: The Greek noun "bronchos" (βρόγχος) meant the throat or windpipe. Anatomists later took the stem into Latin and English as "bronchus," and English now uses that singular with the plural "bronchi" for the airways that branch from the trachea into the lungs. The Greek origin is probably imitative of gurgling, though that link is uncertain. The lung's smaller branches carry a diminutive name. Bronchioles are "little bronchi," formed by adding a Latin diminutive suffix to the same stem, so the tiny passages are named after the larger tubes they grow from.