First Known Use: circa 1836
Dictionary
otolith
noun oto·lith \ˈō-tə-ˌlith\
Definition of OTOLITH
: a calcareous concretion in the inner ear of a vertebrate or in the otocyst of an invertebrate
— oto·lith·ic \ˌō-tə-ˈli-thik\ adjective
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Origin of OTOLITH
French otolithe, from ot- + -lithe -lith
Medical Dictionary
otolith
noun oto·lith \ˈōt-əl-ˌith\
Medical Definition of OTOLITH
: a calcareous concretion in the inner ear of a vertebrate or in the otocyst of an invertebrate that is especially conspicuous in many bony fishes where it forms a hard body and in most of the higher vertebrates where it is represented by a mass of small calcareous otoconia—called also statolith
—oto·lith·ic \ˌōt-əl-ˈith-ik\ adjective
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