auricle

auricle
—auricled, adj.
/awr"i keuhl/, n.
1. Anat.
a. the projecting outer portion of the ear; pinna.
b. Also called auricular appendage. an ear-shaped appendage projecting from each atrium of the heart.
c. (loosely) the atrium.
2. Bot., Zool. a part like or likened to an ear.
[1645-55; < L auricula the (external) ear, ear lobe. See AURI-2, -CLE1]

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▪ ear
also called  Pinna,  

      in human anatomy, the visible portion of the external ear, and the point of difference between the human ear and that of other mammals. The auricle in humans is almost rudimentary and generally immobile and lies close to the side of the head. It is composed of a thin plate of yellow fibrocartilage covered by a tight-fitting skin. The external ear cartilage is molded into shape and has well-defined hollows, furrows, and ridges that form an irregular shallow funnel. The deepest depression in the auricle, called the concha, leads to the external auditory canal or meatus. The one portion of the auricle that has no cartilage is the lobule—the fleshy lower part of the auricle. The auricle has several small basic muscles that connect it to the skull and scalp. Generally nonfunctional in human beings, they are capable of limited movement in some people.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
, / (of the heart)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Auricle — has the following meanings: * the external portion of the ear, the pinna * a small conical pouch that projects from each atrium of the heart ** Right auricle ** Left auricle * a name for the left or right atria of the heart * a name given to ear… …   Wikipedia

  • Auricle — Au ri*cle, n. [L. auricula, dim. of auris ear. See {Ear}.] 1. (Anat.) (a) The external ear, or that part of the ear which is prominent from the head. (b) The chamber, or one of the two chambers, of the heart, by which the blood is received and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • auricle — part of the ear, 1650s, from L. auricula ear, dim. of auris (see EAR (Cf. ear) (1)). As a chamber of the heart, early 15c., from Latin, so called from a perceived similarity in shape to an animal s ear …   Etymology dictionary

  • auricle — ► NOUN 1) the external part of the ear. 2) an atrium of the heart. ORIGIN Latin auricula little ear …   English terms dictionary

  • auricle — [ô′ri kəl] n. [ME < L auricula, dim. of auris, EAR1] 1. Anat. a) the external part of the ear; pinna b) Obs. an atrium of the heart 2. Biol. an earlike part or organ …   English World dictionary

  • auricle reflex — involuntary movement of the auricle of the ear produced by auditory stimuli (more pronounced in some other animals than in humans) …   Medical dictionary

  • auricle — noun Etymology: Latin auricula, from diminutive of auris ear more at ear Date: 15th century 1. a. an atrium of a heart b. pinna 1 c. an anterior ear shaped pouch in each atrium of the human heart 2. an angular or ear shaped lobe …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • auricle — atrium …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • auricle — n. [L. auricula, little ear] 1. Any ear shaped structure or small lobe like appendage. 2. An atrium or chamber of the heart. 3. (ARTHROPODA: Insecta) a. In Hymenoptera, a flat plate forming a part of the pollen basket or corbicula of honeybees. b …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • auricle — noun a) The outer ear or pinna. b) An ear shaped appendage of the left or right atrium of the heart. Syn: pinna, pavilion See Also: auricular …   Wiktionary

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