cochlea
noun /ˈkɒkliə/
/ˈkəʊkliə/, /ˈkɑːkliə/
(plural cochleae
(anatomy) /ˈkɒkliiː/
/ˈkəʊkliiː/, /ˈkɑːkliiː/
)- a small curved tube inside the ear that contains a small part that sends nerve signals to the brain when sounds cause it to vibrateTopics Bodyc2Word Originmid 16th cent. (used to denote spiral objects): from Latin, ‘snail shell or screw’, from Greek kokhlias. The current sense dates from the late 17th cent.