| English Dictionary |
BRANCHIAL CLEFT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
Dictionary entry overview: What does branchial cleft mean?
• BRANCHIAL CLEFT (noun)
The noun BRANCHIAL CLEFT has 1 sense:
1. one of a series of slit openings in the pharynxes of fishes and aquatic amphibians through which water passes
Familiarity information: BRANCHIAL CLEFT used as a noun is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
One of a series of slit openings in the pharynxes of fishes and aquatic amphibians through which water passes
Classified under:
Nouns denoting animals
Synonyms:
branchial cleft; gill cleft; gill slit
Hypernyms ("branchial cleft" is a kind of...):
anatomical structure; bodily structure; body structure; complex body part; structure (a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing and its construction and arrangement)
Context examples
It is characterized by the abnormal development of the second branchial arch, resulting in the formation of branchial cleft cysts and fistulae, hearing loss and ear malformations, and renal abnormalities.
(Melnick-Fraser Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)
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