noun pl. tracheae or tracheas
- in the respiratory tract of most land vertebrates, the tube extending from the larynx to the two bronchi; windpipe
- in the respiratory system of insects and certain other invertebrates, any of the tubules branching throughout the body and conducting air from the exterior
- Bot. vessel (sense )
Origin:
ME trache < ML trachea < LL trachia, windpipe < Gr tracheia (arteria), rough (windpipe) < trachys, rough, akin to thrassein, to confuse < IE base *dher-, dark residue, dirt > dregs