windpipe

noun

wind·​pipe ˈwin(d)-ˌpīp How to pronounce windpipe (audio)
: trachea sense 1

Examples of windpipe in a Sentence

She got something stuck in her windpipe.
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.
Half a cherry tomato had been lodged in his windpipe, cutting off oxygen to his brain. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026 Air then rushes into your nose (or, less optimally, your mouth); past your throat, voice box, and windpipe; and into your lungs. — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2026 Willow pointed out the sculpture’s windpipe, constructed out of twisted wood, which extends above the lungs skyward. — Isadora Pennington, AJC.com, 1 May 2026 The bacteria attacked her epiglottis, the piece of cartilage that covers the windpipe when eating so food doesn’t get into the lungs. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for windpipe

Word History

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of windpipe was in 1528

Rhymes for windpipe

See All Rhymes for windpipe

Browse Nearby Words

windowy
windpipe
wind-pollinated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Windpipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windpipe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on windpipe

Nglish: Translation of windpipe for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about windpipe

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!

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