tonsil Hear it!

tonsil Definition

ton·sil (tänsəl)

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

  • twist: English Tongue Twisters Get your tonsils in a twist with this fun collection of English tongue twisters.
  • order: In the view of these findings The Health Protection Agency is undertaking a larger study of 100,000 tonsils in order to refine this figure.

Browse dictionary entries near tonsil

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  1. tonsillectomy
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