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isthmus

 - 7 dictionary results

isth⋅mus

  [is-muhs]
Use isthmus in a Sentence
–noun, plural -mus⋅es, -mi  [-mahy] .
1. a narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting two larger bodies of land.
2. Anatomy, Zoology. a connecting, usually narrow, part, organ, or passage, esp. when joining structures or cavities larger than itself.
3. Ichthyology. the narrow fleshy area between the sides of the lower jaw of a fish.
Origin:
1545–55; < L < Gk isthmós neck (of land)

Related forms:
isthmoid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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isth·mus   (ĭs'məs)   
n.   pl. isth·mus·es or isth·mi (-mī')

  1. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land.

  2. Anatomy

    1. A narrow strip of tissue joining two larger organs or parts of an organ.

    2. A narrow passage connecting two larger cavities.


[Latin, from Greek isthmos.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

isthmus [(is-muhs)]

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

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

isthmus 
1555, from Gk. isthmos "narrow neck of land," especially that of Corinth, of unknown origin, perhaps from eimi "to go" + suffix -thmo (cf. ithma "a step, movement").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: isth·mus
Pronunciation: 'is-m&s
Function: noun
: a contracted anatomical part or passage connecting two larger structures or cavities:as a : an embryonic constriction separating the midbrain from the hindbrain b : the lower portion of the uterine corpus
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

isthmus isth·mus (ĭs'məs)
n. pl. isth·mus·es or isth·mi (-mī')
A constriction or narrow passage connecting two larger parts of an organ or other anatomical structure.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

isthmus

narrow strip of land connecting two large land areas otherwise separated by the sea. Unquestionably the two most famous are the Isthmus of Panama, connecting North and South America, and the Isthmus of Suez, connecting Africa and Asia. Historically the Isthmus of Corinth was of major importance because it connected what otherwise would be the island of the Peloponnese with the rest of the Greek peninsula. Isthmuses are of great importance in plant and animal geography because they offer a path for the migration of land plants and animals between the two land masses they connect.

Learn more about isthmus with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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