Tonsil

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈtÉ’n.sÉ™l/
• US IPA: /ˈtÉ‘n.sÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -É’nsÉ™l

Origin

From Latin tonsilla, compare French tonsille.

Full definition of tonsil

Noun

1. (anatomy, immunology) Either of a pair of small masses of lymphoid tissue that lie on each side of the throat and that help protect the body against infection; palatine tonsil.
2. (anatomy, immunology) Any of various small masses of lymphoid tissues, including palatine tonsils, adenoids and lingual tonsils.

Synonyms

• tonsilla

Hyponyms

• cerebellar tonsil
• faucial tonsil
• lingual tonsil
• palatine tonsil
• pharyngeal tonsil
• adenoid

Derived terms