a muscular passage connecting the mouth or pharynx with the stomach in invertebrate and vertebrate animals; gullet.
Origin of esophagus
1350–1400; < New Latinoesophagus < Greekoisophágos gullet, literally, channel for eating (oiso-, akin to oísein, future infinitive of phérein to carry + -phagos eating); replacing Middle Englishysophagus < Medieval Latin
late 14c., from Greek oisophagos "gullet," literally "what carries and eats," from oisein, future infinitive of pherein "to carry" (see infer) + -phagos, from phagein "to eat" (see -phagous). Related: Esophageal.
The portion of the digestive canal between the pharynx and stomach, consisting of a cervical part from the cricoid cartilage to the thoracic inlet, a thoracic part from the thoracic inlet to the diaphragm, and an abdominal part below the diaphragm to the stomach.