Chinese word

扁桃体

Pronunciation

Pinyinbiǎn táo tǐ

Meaning

  • nountonsil

Example

他的扁桃体发炎了，嗓子很疼。tā de biǎn táo tǐ fā yán le sǎng zi hěn téng

His tonsils are inflamed, and his throat hurts a lot.

Illustration for 扁桃体 (tonsil)

More examples

医生说我的扁桃体有点肿。yī shēng shuō wǒ de biǎn táo tǐ yóu diǎn zhǒng

The doctor said my tonsils are a little swollen.

Core concept

A mass of lymph tissue on each side of the throat that swells and hurts when an infection reaches it.

Similar words

扁桃腺biǎn táo xiàn: An everyday name for the same lymph tissue in the throat.

Definition in Chinese

位于咽部两侧的淋巴组织，具有免疫功能，感染时会红肿疼痛。wèi yú yàn bù liǎng cè de lín bā zǔ zhī jù yǒu miǎn yì gōng néng gán rǎn shí huì hóng zhǒng téng tòng

Word origin

The Chinese name 扁桃体 (biǎntáotǐ, "almond body") joins 扁桃 (biǎntáo, "almond") and 体 (tǐ, "body"), naming the throat tissue after its almond-like shape.

Usage tips

  • It usually appears in talk about sore throats and infections, where the swelling of the throat tissue is the point.

Word lists with this word