cochlea

UK: /ˈkɒkliə/ US: /ˈkɑkliə, ˈkoʊkliə/ ,(kok′lē ə, kō′klē ə)

Inflections of 'cochlea' (n):

cochleae

npl

cochleas

npl

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

coch•le•a /ˈkɑkliə, ˈkoʊkliə/   n. [countable] , pl. -le•ae /-liˌi, -liˌaɪ/  -le•as. 

1. Anatomy the spiral-shaped part of the inner ear in mammals.

coch•le•ar, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

coch•le•a  (kok′lē ə, kō′klē ə), n., pl. coch•le•ae (kok′lē ē′, -lē ī′, kō′klē ē′, -klē ī′), coch•le•as. [Anat.]

1. Anatomy a spiral-shaped cavity forming a division of the internal ear in humans and in most other mammals. See diag. under ear. 

• Greek kochlíās snail (with spiral shell), screw, probably akin to kónchē conch
• Latin
• 1530–40

coch′le•ar, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cochlea / ˈkɒklɪə/ noun ( -leae / -lɪˌiː/)

1. the spiral tube, shaped like a snail's shell, that forms part of the internal ear, converting sound vibrations into nerve impulses

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin: snail, spiral, from Greek kokhlias; probably related to Greek konkhē conch

ˈcochlear adjective