Medical Term:
tonsil
Pronunciation: ton′sil
Definition:
- Intramucosal collection of lymphocytes or aggregated lymphoid tissue closely associated with the overlying epithelium, including the pharyngeal tonsil (adenoid), palatine tonsil, and lingual tonsil, that collectively form a lymphoepithelial ring in the pharynx.
- An anatomic structure resembling the palatine tonsil in form.
See: pharyngeal lymphatic ring
Synonym(s): palatine tonsil
[L. tonsilla, a stake, in pl. the tonsils]
Search Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.
