oesophagus

Everyday

The oesophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and drink from your mouth and throat down to your stomach. tree →

In the lessons

Used in science lessons about the digestive system: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine. Its muscles squeeze food down in waves, so you can swallow even upside down. In everyday life people say "food pipe" or "gullet" for it.

Examples

• The oesophagus carries food to the stomach. tree →
• When you swallow, the oesophagus squeezes the food down. tree →
• Label the oesophagus on the diagram of the digestive system. tree →
• The oesophagus is behind the windpipe. tree →
• Hot drinks can hurt your oesophagus, so sip them slowly. tree →
• Astronauts can swallow in space because the oesophagus pushes the food along. tree →
• The doctor said the fish bone was stuck in his oesophagus. tree →

Note

British spelling; American spelling is "esophagus". Do not confuse it with the trachea (windpipe), which carries air to the lungs. Usually used with "the": "the oesophagus". Plural is rare.