tho·rax

(thôr′ăks′)

n. pl. tho·rax·es or tho·ra·ces (thôr′ə-sēz′)

1. The part of the human body between the neck and the diaphragm, partially encased by the ribs and containing the heart and lungs; the chest.

2. A part in other vertebrates that corresponds to the human thorax.

3. The second or middle region of the body of certain arthropods, including the insects and most crustaceans, lying between the head and the abdomen.

[Middle English, from Latin thōrāx, breastplate, chest, from Greek.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

thorax

(ˈθɔːræks)

n, pl thoraxes or thoraces (ˈθɔːrəˌsiːz; θɔːˈreɪsiːz)

1. (Anatomy) the part of the human body enclosed by the ribs

2. (Zoology) the corresponding part in other vertebrates

3. (Zoology) the part of an insect's body between the head and abdomen, which bears the wings and legs

[C16: via Latin from Greek thōrax breastplate, chest]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tho•rax

(ˈθɔr æks, ˈθoʊr-)

n., pl. tho•rax•es, tho•ra•ces (ˈθɔr əˌsiz, ˈθoʊr-)

1. the part of the trunk between the neck and the abdomen, containing the heart and lungs in a bony cage of vertebrae, ribs, and sternum; chest: in mammals separated from the lower trunk by the diaphragm.

2. the portion of the body of an insect between the head and the abdomen.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin thōrāx breastplate, chest, trunk < Greek thṓrāx]

tho·rax

(thôr′ăks′)

1. The upper part of the trunk in vertebrate animals. The thorax includes the rib cage, which encloses the heart and lungs. In humans and other mammals, the thorax lies above the abdomen.

2. The middle division of the body of an insect, to which the wings and legs are attached. The thorax lies between the head and the abdomen.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

thorax

The chest: the body between the neck and the abdomen.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	thorax - the middle region of the body of an arthropod between the head and the abdomen arthropod - invertebrate having jointed limbs and a segmented body with an exoskeleton made of chitin body part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity
	2.	thorax - the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates chest, pectus craniate, vertebrate - animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or cranium body part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity breastbone, sternum - the flat bone that articulates with the clavicles and the first seven pairs of ribs thoracic aorta - a branch of the descending aorta; divides into the iliac arteries thoracic vein, vena thoracica - veins that drain the thoracic walls gall bladder, gallbladder - a muscular sac attached to the liver that stores bile (secreted by the liver) until it is needed for digestion area of cardiac dullness - a triangular area of the front of the chest (determined by percussion); corresponds to the part of the heart not covered by the lungs torso, trunk, body - the body excluding the head and neck and limbs; "they moved their arms and legs and bodies" female chest, bust - the chest of a woman male chest - the chest of a man musculus pectoralis, pecs, pectoral, pectoral muscle, pectoralis - either of two large muscles of the chest chest cavity, thoracic cavity - the cavity in the vertebrate body enclosed by the ribs between the diaphragm and the neck and containing the lungs and heart breast, chest - the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen; "he beat his breast in anger" rib cage - the bony enclosing wall of the chest
	3.	thorax - part of an insect's body that bears the wings and legs insect - small air-breathing arthropod prothorax - the anterior part of an insect's thorax; bears the first pair of legs body part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity

thorax

noun

Related words
adjective thoracic

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

hruďhrudník

Thorax Brust

θώρακας

pecho

torace toracico cassa toracica

thorax

[ˈθɔːræks] N (thoraxes, thoraces (pl)) → tórax m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

thorax

[ˈθɔːræks] [thoraces] [ˈθɔːrəsiːz] (pl) n

(ANATOMY) [person] → thorax m

(ZOOLOGY) [insect] → thorax m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

thorax

n → Brustkorb m, → Brustkasten m, → Thorax m (spec)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

thorax

[ˈθɔːræks] n → torace m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

tho·rax

n. tórax, el pecho.

thorax

n (pl -raxes o -races) tórax m

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The spider now examines the powerless victim, and gives the fatal bite on the hinder part of its thorax; then retreating, patiently waits till the poison has taken effect.

[5] The elater, when placed on its back and preparing to spring, moved its head and thorax backwards, so that the pectoral spine was drawn out, and rested on the edge of its sheath.

The spider, though well concealed, was soon discovered, and the wasp, evidently still afraid of its adversary's jaws, after much manoeuvring, inflicted two stings on the under side of its thorax. At last, carefully examining with its antennae the now motionless spider, it proceeded to drag away the body.

View in context

A broken branch had run clean through the man's thorax, and he hung, so stabbed, looking limp and absurd.

View in context

A mere dimness of sight and dizziness of brain, was it?--or disagreeable choking, or stifling, or gurgling, or bubbling, in the region of the thorax, as the anatomists say?--or was it a pretty severe throbbing and kicking of the heart, rather creditable to him than otherwise, as showing that the organ had not been left out of the Judge's physical contrivance?

View in context

Every now and then the moth, which was now grey of wing and shiny of thorax, whizzed over their heads, and hit the lamps with a thud.

View in context

The great difficulty lies in the working ants differing widely from both the males and the fertile females in structure, as in the shape of the thorax and in being destitute of wings and sometimes of eyes, and in instinct.

View in context

The aim of this study is to know the prevalence and patters of pulmonary involvement in early RA patients by HRCT thorax and to correlate them with clinical and laboratory parameters.

PULMONARY MANIFESTATIONS OF EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS ON HRCT THORAX

While the thorax and abdomen were both incised, instruments were laid out and organized to be used exclusively for one anatomical region.

Dispatch from the operating room

WASHINGTON:The fur on the thorax of some moths absorbs the sound waves emitted by bats and their sonar systems, making them harder to detect, according to new research by scientists at Bristol University in England.

Sound-absorbing fur helps moths avoid bat predation

Body Imaging: Thorax and Abdomen: Anatomical Landmarks, Image Findings, Diagnosis (online access included)