Library / English Dictionary

TONSIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Either of two masses of lymphatic tissue one on each side of the oral pharynx

Synonyms:

faucial tonsil; palatine tonsil; tonsil; tonsilla

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("tonsil" is a kind of...):

lymphatic tissue; lymphoid tissue (tissue making up the lymphatic system)

Holonyms ("tonsil" is a part of...):

nasopharynx (cavity forming the upper part of the pharynx)

Credits

 Context examples: 

It includes the back third of the tongue, the soft palate, the side and back walls of the throat, and the tonsils.

(Oropharynx, NCI Dictionary)

Surgical removal of the pharyngeal tonsils (adenoids).

(Adenoidectomy, NCI Thesaurus)

A groove between the base of the tongue and the palatine tonsil.

(Glossopharyngeal Sulcus, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of tissue from the pharyngeal tonsil for microscopic examination.

(Biopsy of Pharyngeal Tonsil, NCI Thesaurus)

Non-encapsulated accumulations of lymphoid tissue in the alimentary tract that form a secretory immune system containing cells committed to IgA or IgE synthesis; include tonsils, Peyer's patches, lamina propria, and appendix.

(Murine Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue, NCI Thesaurus)

Bubonic plague causes the tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and thymus to become inflamed. Symptoms include fever, aches, chills, and tender lymph glands.

(Plague, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

The bodily system of organs and tissues, primarily the bone marrow, spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes, involved in the production of blood considered together with the interconnected system of spaces and vessels between body tissues and organs by which lymph circulates throughout the body.

(Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System, NCI Thesaurus)

Any component of the system of organs and tissues, including the bone marrow, spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes, involved in the production of blood considered together with the interconnected system of spaces and vessels between body tissues and organs by which lymph circulates throughout the body.

(Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Part, NCI Thesaurus)

Signs and symptoms include fever, enlargement of the tonsils, difficulty swallowing, and enlargement of the regional lymph nodes.

(Acute Tonsillitis, NCI Thesaurus)