Noun: tonsil tón-sul
- Either of two masses of lymphatic tissue one on each side of the oral pharynx
"Enlarged tonsils can cause difficulty swallowing"; "Her palatine tonsils were inflamed, indicating tonsillitis"; "Enlarged faucial tonsils can cause difficulty swallowing";
- palatine tonsil, faucial tonsil
Derived forms: tonsils
Type of: lymphatic tissue, lymphoid tissue
Part of: nasopharynx
Encyclopedia: Tonsil