isthmus

/ˈɪsməs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪsməs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈi-sməs/ (ame, mw)

isthmus — noun

  • isthmussingular
  • isthmusesplural

1. A narrow strip of land that has water on both sides and connects two larger land

1.名詞B2
釋義

A narrow strip of land that has water on both sides and connects two larger land masses.

例句

The Isthmus of Panama separates the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic Ocean and links North America to South America.

isthmus of + [place name] pattern

Kenji's geography class studied how the Kra Isthmus in Thailand connects the Malay Peninsula to the mainland of Asia.

countable noun modified by place name

同義詞
  • land bridge

    A more general, less technical term often used in archaeology or ecology to describe a connecting strip of land.

  • neck of land

    Literary or old-fashioned term for a narrow strip of land connecting two larger areas.

反義詞
  • strait

    A narrow water passage connecting two larger bodies of water — the opposite of a land isthmus.

  • channel

    A wider water passage; functionally opposite as it separates land rather than joining it.

文法句型

isthmus + of + [place name]

用法筆記

Commonly used with the pattern 'isthmus of + proper name' (e.g. the Isthmus of Suez). When the name is well-known, 'isthmus' often follows a definite article.

常見錯誤

❌The Panama Strait connects North and South America.
✅The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America.
💡A strait is a narrow water passage; an isthmus is a narrow land passage.
❌The isthmus Suez is in Egypt.
✅The Isthmus of Suez is in Egypt.
💡The geographical name pattern is 'the Isthmus of [Place]', not '[Place] isthmus'.

2. A narrow section of an organ or body structure that connects two larger parts, s

2.名詞C1
釋義

A narrow section of an organ or body structure that connects two larger parts, such as the thyroid isthmus or the isthmus of the fallopian tube.

例句

The ultrasound showed that the isthmus of Emma's thyroid gland was slightly thicker than normal.

isthmus + of + [organ] for anatomical location

Dr. Okafor pointed to the narrow isthmus connecting the two lobes of the thyroid during the anatomy lecture.

isthmus connecting + [two parts]

同義詞
  • constriction

    A general term for a narrowing; less precise but can describe the same anatomical feature.

  • passage

    A broader term that may refer to a channel or duct rather than a solid tissue connection.

反義詞
  • lumen

    The inside open space of a tubular organ — conceptually opposite to the narrow connecting tissue of an isthmus.

文法句型

isthmus + of + [body part]

用法筆記

Always used with a definite article or possessive determiner followed by 'of' (e.g. 'the isthmus of the thyroid', 'the aortic isthmus'). Found mainly in medical textbooks, surgical reports, and anatomy exam contexts.

常見錯誤

❌There is a blockage in her isthmus.
✅There is a blockage in the isthmus of her fallopian tube.
💡The anatomical sense always specifies which organ or structure the isthmus belongs to.