Standard Lemma guide

nasopharynx

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æɹɪŋks
  • CMU ARPABET: N AH0 S AA1 F ER0 IH0 NG K S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The nasal part of the pharynx, lying behind the nose and above the level of the soft palate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

cavity forming the upper part of the pharynx

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cavity, bodily cavity, cavum

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *néh2sder. Proto-Italic *nāssos Latin nāsus Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o-bor. English -o- English naso- Ancient Greek φάρυγξ (phárunx)bor. New Latin pharynxbor. English pharynx English nasopharynx From naso- + pharynx.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: nosohltan — nasal part of the pharynx
  • Finnish: nenänielu — nasal part of the pharynx
  • Galician: nasofarinxe — nasal part of the pharynx
  • Hungarian: orrgarat — nasal part of the pharynx
  • Lingala: mongelu mwa zólo — nasal part of the pharynx
  • Spanish: nasofaringe — nasal part of the pharynx