meatus
UK[miˈeɪtəs]US[miˈeɪtəs]
n
a natural body opening or passage, especially one leading to the interior of the body.
Etymology
the word 'meatus' is a direct borrowing from latin, where it means "a passage, course, or channel." the latin term itself is derived from the verb 'meare,' meaning "to go, pass, or flow." this etymological journey from a verb of motion to a noun denoting a passage is logical and clear. the word entered english in the late 16th century, primarily within anatomical contexts, to describe the various natural tubes and canals in the body, such as the auditory meatus of the ear, preserving the core latin sense of a channel for passage.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword from latin. it is not productively formed from smaller, recognizable english morphemes.
Examples
the external auditory meatus is the tube leading from the outer ear to the eardrum.
a blocked nasal meatus can cause difficulty in breathing.
the surgeon carefully examined the urethral meatus.