THORAX • DICCIONARIO INGLES.COM • Definition of Thorax

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/θˈɔræks/ Listen

noun

Thorax n.

(Anat.) The part of the trunk between the neck and the abdomen, containing that part of the body cavity the walls of which are supported by the dorsal vertebrae, the ribs, and the sternum, and which the heart and lungs are situated; the chest. Note: In mammals the thoracic cavity is completely separated from the abdominal by the diaphragm, but in birds and many reptiles the separation is incomplete, while in other reptiles, and in amphibians and fishes, there is no marked separation and no true thorax.

(Zool.)

(a)

The middle region of the body of an insect, or that region which bears the legs and wings. It is composed of three united somites, each of which is composed of several distinct parts.

(b)

The second, or middle, region of the body of a crustacean, arachnid, or other articulate animal. In the case of decapod Crustacea, some writers include under the term thorax only the three segments bearing the maxillipeds; others include also the five segments bearing the legs.

(Antiq.) A breastplate, cuirass, or corselet; especially, the breastplate worn by the ancient Greeks.

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Etymology of 'Thorax'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Thorax" Quotes from Famous Books

... close with an unyielding grip. The other claws, if the direction of the twig is convenient, assist in supporting it; otherwise the claws of the two fore legs will suffice. There follows a moment of repose, while the supporting limbs stiffen in an unbreakable hold. Then the thorax splits along the back, and through the fissure the insect slowly emerges. The whole process lasts ...

— Social Life in the Insect World • J. H. Fabre

... nourish the body and convey oxygen into the stomach, which it will appropriate, should be given. Opium, in small quantities, and other stimulants, should be given according to the necessities of the case. May it not be well, through the medium of wet sponge over the thorax, to apply a continuous but gentle current of galvanism, so as to stimulate the heart's action, keep alive the respiratory movements, and thereby assist in the maintenance of the functions of ...

— Scientific American Supplement, No. 455, September 20, 1884 • Various

... takes in her mouth the extended and sugared tongue of the dead insect; then once more she presses the neck and the thorax, and once more applies the pressure of her abdomen to the honey-sac of the bee. The honey oozes forth and is instantly licked up. Thus the bee is gradually compelled to disgorge the contents of the crop. This atrocious meal lasts often half an hour and longer, until the last trace of ...

— Fabre, Poet of Science • Dr. G.V. (C.V.) Legros

... think that this electric light will become a vacuum tube for photographing, from the stomach, any part of the abdomen or thorax?" ...

— Little Masterpieces of Science: - Invention and Discovery • Various

... instance, in the adult man, the abdominal type prevails; that is, the respiratory exchange of gases is effected chiefly by movements of the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles: whereas in the adult woman the respiration is costal, the respiratory exchange being effected chiefly by movements of the thorax. How unsettled our views are in respect of the types of respiration in children is well displayed by the collection of opinions given by Havelock Ellis.[14] According to Boerhaave, sexual differences in the type of respiration ...

— The Sexual Life of the Child • Albert Moll

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