throat

Pluralthroats

Formsthroats, throating, throated

1. 1
   nouncountable

   The soft front part of your neck, under your chin.

   She wrapped a warm scarf around her throat before going outside.

   The cat has a patch of white fur on its throat.

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable

   The tube inside your neck that carries food and air down from your mouth.

   Like a slide that carries food from your mouth down toward your stomach.

   My throat hurts every time I swallow.

   A fish bone got stuck in his throat at dinner.

   Similargullet, pharynx, windpipe

3. 3
   nouncountable

   The narrow opening at the top of a bottle, jar, or other container.

   She poured the oil slowly through the narrow throat of the bottle.

   Some sand got stuck in the throat of the jar.

   Similarneck, mouth, opening

4. 4
   nouncountable

   The opening of a tube-shaped part of a plant or animal, like the open end of a flower.

   The bee crawled deep into the throat of the flower to reach the sweet juice.

   Some flowers have bright spots inside the throat that guide insects in.

   Similarmouth

   Note
5. 5
   verbcolloquialtransitive

   To take something down into your throat, the way you swallow food.

   The big bird throated the fish in one quick gulp.

   Snakes can throat prey much wider than their own heads.

   Similarswallow, gulp, gobble, devour

   Oppositeregurgitate

   Note
6. 6
   nouncountable

   The narrow part of a chimney just above the fireplace, where the smoke squeezes through.

   Smoke rises up through the throat of the chimney.

   Birds sometimes build nests in a chimney's throat during spring.

   Note
7. 7
   nounabbreviation

   Short for station throat. The narrow stretch of track where rail lines come together just outside a station.

   Trains slowed down as they entered the throat outside the busy station.

   Workers repaired the tracks in the throat over the weekend.

   Note
8. 8
   nouncountable

   On a sailboat, the top corner of a sail that sits closest to the mast.

   The sailor tied a strong rope to the throat of the big sail.

   Pull the line at the throat first when you raise the sail.

   Note
9. 9
   nouncountable

   The bent corner of an anchor, where one of its arms meets the long middle bar.

   Rust had eaten deep into the throat of the old anchor.

   The chain caught on the anchor's throat as they pulled it up.

   Note
10. 10
    nouncountable

    On a sailboat, the end of the pole holding the top of a sail, where it meets the mast.

    The throat of the sail pole rests in a wooden fork against the mast.

    Sailors grease the throat so it slides smoothly up the mast.

    Note
11. 11
    nouncountable

    The inside curve of a bent piece of wood used to hold parts of a ship together.

    He sanded the throat of the wooden brace until it fit the corner.

    Water collected in the throat of the old brace and rotted the wood.

    Note

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