Pyloros

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The anatomical channel that connects the stomach to the duodenum ; a critical opening regulating the passage of partially digested food ; a tubular structure at the lower end of the stomach
2. A narrow passage marking the junction between the stomach and the small intestine ; the valve-like region managing the flow of chyme ; the end section of the stomach leading to the duodenum
3. The constricted part of the digestive tract situated at the outlet of the stomach ; the opening through which food passes to the intestine ; the muscle-controlled gateway between stomach and duodenum

Etymology: Anatomists borrowed this word from Greek, where "pylōros" meant "gatekeeper" or "gate-warden," from "pylē" (gate) and "ouros" (guardian, watcher). The name fits the job: the pyloric sphincter is a ring of muscle at the bottom of the stomach that controls when partly digested food passes into the small intestine. The Greek word was a common noun for a doorkeeper, and it is closely related to "pylon," which also comes from "pylē." The Greek sense was already in use in ancient medical writing, and Greek physicians applied it to the stomach's outlet. Galen and other ancient writers used the term in this anatomical sense, so the modern medical usage is an inheritance from classical Greek rather than a later coinage.

Synonyms: pylorus, gatekeeper, valve, stomach outlet