Turbinates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Anatomical structures within the nasal cavity that facilitate airflow regulation and humidification
2. Bony formations covered with mucous membranes located in the nose, serving to warm and filter inhaled air
3. Curved projections in the nasal passages that improve respiratory efficiency by increasing surface area for air contact and conditioning

Etymology: The nose's scroll-shaped bones are named for their resemblance to a spinning top. "Turbinate" comes from Latin "turbinatus," meaning "shaped like a top" or "spiral," built on "turbo," the Latin word for a spinning top or whirl. The bones are called turbinates because their curled, cone-like form resembles the whorls of a top, and the plural "turbinates" simply refers to the several such bones on each side of the nasal cavity. The same Latin root gives English "turbine," a machine whose blades spin like a whirling top, and the verb "turbulent," from the idea of things churning about. Anatomists borrowed the adjective to describe any shape that coils or tapers like a spinning top, and the nasal bones are the best-known application.