EPIGLOTTIS - Definition

Pronunciation:		`epu'glâtis
WordNet Dictionary

	Definition:	[n] a flap of cartilage that covers the windpipe while swallowing

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	See Also:	cartilaginous structure, gustatory organ, taste bud, tastebud, trachea, windpipe

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

	Definition:	\Ep`i*glot"tis\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?; 'epi` upon + ?, ?, tongue. See {Glottis}.] (Anat.) A cartilaginous lidlike appendage which closes the glottis while food or drink is passing while food or drink is passing through the pharynx.

Medical Dictionary

	Definition:	The flap that covers the trachea during swallowing so that food does not enter the lungs.