isthmus

[is-muh s] /ˈɪs məs/
noun, plural isthmuses, isthmi
[is-mahy] /ˈɪs maɪ/ (Show IPA)
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, especially 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; < Latin < Greek isthmós neck (of land)
Related forms
isthmoid, adjective
Examples from the web for isthmus
  • The north is separated from the south by the neck, an isthmus of swampland.
British Dictionary definitions for isthmus

isthmus

/ˈɪsməs/
noun (pl) -muses, -mi (-maɪ)
1.
a narrow strip of land connecting two relatively large land areas
2.
(anatomy)
  1. a narrow band of tissue connecting two larger parts of a structure
  2. a narrow passage connecting two cavities
Derived Forms
isthmoid, adjective
Word Origin
C16: from Latin, from Greek isthmos
Word Origin and History for isthmus
n.

1550s, from Latin isthmus, from Greek isthmos "narrow passage, narrow neck of land," especially that of Corinth, of unknown origin, perhaps from eimi "to go" + suffix -thmo (cf. ithma "a step, movement").

isthmus in Medicine

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.

isthmus in Science
isthmus
  (ĭs'məs)   
Plural isthmuses or isthmi (ĭs'mī')
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land.
isthmus in Culture
isthmus [(is-muhs)]

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

Encyclopedia Article for 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.

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