esophagus

noun

esoph·​a·​gus i-ˈsä-fə-gəs How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
plural esophagi i-ˈsä-fə-ˌgī How to pronounce esophagus (audio) -ˌjī How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
: a muscular tube that conveys food from the mouth to the stomach and that in humans is about nine inches (23 centimeters) long and passes from the pharynx down the neck between the trachea and the spinal column and behind the left bronchus where it pierces the diaphragm slightly to the left of the middle line and joins the cardiac end of the stomach
esophageal
i-ˌsä-fə-ˈjē-əl How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
adjective

Examples of esophagus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is true whether the disease is in the breast, head and neck, esophagus, or most other organs. — Sana Raoof, STAT, 4 June 2026 Digestive problems, such as an enlarged esophagus or colon. — Eva Flowe may 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026 Eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic inflammation of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. — Dr. Daniel Digiacomo, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026 Chewing, as well as enzymes in your saliva, begin the process of breaking down food, which is then swallowed to travel through your esophagus into your stomach. — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for esophagus

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ysophagus, from Medieval Latin ysofugus, from Greek oisophagos, from oisein to be going to carry + phagein to eat — more at baksheesh

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of esophagus was in the 14th century

Rhymes for esophagus

See All Rhymes for esophagus

Browse Nearby Words

esophagitis
esophagus
esoteric
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Esophagus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esophagus. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

esophagus

noun
esoph·​a·​gus i-ˈsäf-ə-gəs How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
plural esophagi -ˌgī How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
-ˌjī
: a muscular tube that leads from the cavity behind the mouth to the stomach
esophageal
-ˌsäf-ə-ˈjē-əl How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
adjective

Medical Definition

esophagus

noun
esoph·​a·​gus
variants or chiefly British oesophagus
i-ˈsäf-ə-gəs How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
plural esophagi -ˌgī How to pronounce esophagus (audio) -ˌjī How to pronounce esophagus (audio)
: a muscular tube that in adult humans is about nine inches (23 centimeters) long and passes from the pharynx down the neck between the trachea and the spinal column and behind the left bronchus where it pierces the diaphragm slightly to the left of the middle line and joins the cardiac end of the stomach

More from Merriam-Webster on esophagus

Nglish: Translation of esophagus for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about esophagus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All