tonsil
tonsil — noun
- tonsilsingular
- tonsilsplural
1. the two soft rounded pads of tissue found on opposite walls of the throat, just
the two soft rounded pads of tissue found on opposite walls of the throat, just behind the tongue; they work as part of the immune system, catching germs that come in through the mouth.
The doctor told Rohan his tonsils were red and swollen.
collocation: swollen tonsils
Eli had his tonsils removed when he was eight years old.
collocation: have your tonsils removed
Dewi could barely swallow because her tonsils were so sore.
The nurse shone a light into Liam's mouth to check his tonsils.
Paul's tonsils were so enlarged that he struggled to breathe at night.
- palatine tonsil
formal medical term for the same structure
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural ('tonsils'), since people normally have two. The singular form appears mainly in medical compounds such as 'tonsil surgery' or 'tonsil tissue.'
常見錯誤
2. a small pad of soft, germ-fighting tissue located in another part of the throat
a small pad of soft, germ-fighting tissue located in another part of the throat or nose — for example, the adenoids behind the nose, the lingual tonsil at the back of the tongue, or the pharyngeal tonsil high in the throat.
Amara's young son could barely breathe through his nose because his adenoid tonsils were so swollen.
compound: adenoid tonsils
Fatima's chronic sore throat was traced to an infection in her lingual tonsil.
compound: lingual tonsil
Rania was surprised to learn there are tonsils in other parts of the throat.
The scan picked up an unusually large pharyngeal tonsil that was causing Hugo's blocked nose.
- adenoid
refers specifically to the pharyngeal tonsil behind the nose
用法筆記
In this sense, 'tonsil' is almost always used with a modifier that names its location (lingual tonsil, pharyngeal tonsil, adenoid tonsil). Distinguish from sense 1 (THROAT ORGAN), which refers specifically to the pair visible at the sides of the throat.