saccule

English

Alternative forms

• (labyrinth): sacculus (British)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sacculus (“a little sack or bag”), diminutive of saccus (“a bag, sack”). Doublet of sacculus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæk.juːl/
• Rhymes: -ækjuːl

Noun

saccule (plural saccules)

1. (biology, anatomy) A small sac, pouch, or cyst.

   Hyponym: laryngeal saccule

2. (anatomy) The smaller of the two fluid-filled sacs forming part of the labyrinth of the inner ear (the other being the utricle). It contains a region of hair cells and otoliths which send signals to the brain concerning the orientation of the head.

Derived terms

• saccular (adjective)
• sacculo-

Related terms

• sac

Translations

small sac

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 小囊 (zh) (xiǎonáng)

part of the labyrinth

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 球囊 (qiúnáng)

See also

• utricle

References

• “saccule”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “saccule”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

French

Noun

saccule m (plural saccules)

1. saccule

Further reading

• “saccule”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Noun

saccule

1. vocative singular of sacculus