Windpipes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A pair of tubular structures in the throat that conduct air to and from the lungs during respiration
2. The major passages of the respiratory system that play a crucial role in breathing and sound production
3. Flexible conduits in the airway that facilitate the flow of air, essential for normal respiration and vocalization

Etymology: "Windpipes" is simply the plural of "windpipe," so its history is that of the singular form. "Windpipe" is a compound of "wind" and "pipe," and it is first recorded in the 1520s. Its literal sense is clear from its parts: the tube through which air passes to and from the lungs was, in effect, a pipe for the breath. The word "wind" here is the old sense of moving air, which is also the sense behind "breath" and "breathing" in the body. Because the tube carries air, English speakers reached for the most ordinary image available, a pipe, and joined it to the air it conveyed.

Synonyms: trachea, airway