trachea

Etymology

From late Middle English, from Medieval Latin trāchēa (“the windpipe”) (also borrowed as Late Latin trāchīa), from Ancient Greek τρᾱχεῖᾰ (trākheîa, “jagged, rugged, rough”), ellipsis of τρᾱχεῖᾰ ᾰ̓ρτηρῐ́ᾱ (trākheîa artēríā, “rough artery”).

noun

1. (anatomy) A thin-walled, cartilaginous tube connecting the larynx to the bronchi.
2. (botany, dated) The xylem vessel.
3. (entomology) One of the cuticle-lined primary tubes in the respiratory system of an insect, which extend throughout its body.