Dictionary
ep•i•glot•tis
Pronunciation: (ep"i-glot'is), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -glot•tis•es, -glot•ti•desPronunciation: (-glot'i-dēz"). [key]
Anat.
a thin, valvelike, cartilaginous structure that covers the glottis during swallowing, preventing the entrance of food and drink into the larynx. See diag. under
larynx. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.