otolith

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From oto- +‎ -lith, from Ancient Greek ὠτο- (ōto-), stem of οὖς (oûs, “ear”), and λίθος (líthos, “stone”).

Noun

otolith (plural otoliths)

  1. (zoology) A small particle, composed mainly of calcium carbonate, found in the inner ear of vertebrates, being part of the balance sense.
    Synonyms: otoconium, otosteon, statoconium, statolith
    Hyponyms: canalith, canalolith

Usage notes

Do not confuse otoliths (small stones in the inner ear as part of the vestibular sense) with ossicles (small bones in the middle ear as part of the auditory sense).

Derived terms

Translations

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