tonsil Definition
ton·sil (tän′səl)
noun
either of a pair of oval masses of lymphoid tissue, one on each side of the throat at the back of the mouth
Etymology: L tonsillae, pl., dim. of tōlēs (< *tonsles), goiter
tonsil Related Forms
ton′·sil·lar adjective
tonsil Usage Examples
Possessives
child: Historically, that has led to such things as fashions in, say, the removal of children's tonsils, or in grommets.
Converse of object
- remove: There are a number of different methods that your surgeon can use to remove the tonsils.
- have: Dora has had an operation and had tonsils and adenoids removed.
- inflame: The fresh juice or compote was used as a gargle for hoarseness, sore throat and inflamed tonsils, .
- take: No advising Marc to have his tonsils taken out.
- get: I've got tonsils streaming gunge again, which i am trying not to panic about.
Adjective modifier
- swollen: A sore throat with swollen tonsils that are heavily covered by a white coating.
- enlarged: Enlarged tonsils which are not causing problems do not require removal.
- large: Over the last few months his child has developed large tonsils.
- palatine: Prognosis in patients with malignant neoplasms of the palatine tonsil were better in comparison with tongue cancer.
- right: It was a nightmare, especially when I developed quinsy, a type of abscess, in my right tonsil.
- infected: Swollen adenoids are often associated with tonsillitis ( infected tonsils ) and are usually removed as part of an operation to remove the tonsils.
Modifies a noun
- biopsy: In practice, the tonsil biopsy might obviate the need for a brain biopsy sample to be taken.
- cancer: Chemotherapy has not always been a treatment of choice for tonsil cancer.
- hockey: I've seen tonsil hockey played in pubs before but remain in the dark over this one.
- asymmetry: Tonsil asymmetry may only be apparent in patients with an otherwise normal physical examination, secondary to benign hyperplasia or anatomical factors.
- tissue: In a person infected with CJD, the prion protein can often be seen in a sample ( biopsy ) of tonsil tissue.
- surgery: I think that's where it happened to her, when she had her tonsil surgery.
Preposition: in
Browse dictionary entries near tonsil
- ‹ tonometer
- ‹ tonneau
- ‹ tonne
- ‹ tonnage
- ‹ Tonle Sap
- ‹ Tonkin
- ‹ tonka bean
- ‹ tonight
- ‹ tonicity
- ‹ tonic sol-fa
- tonsillectomy ›
- tonsillitis ›
- tonsillotomy ›
- tonsorial ›
- tonsure ›
- tonsured ›
- tontine ›
- tonus ›
- tony ›
- Tonya ›

