rhonchus

R1H4O1N1C3H4U1S1
UK/ˈɹɒŋ.kəs/US/ˈɹɑŋ.kəs/

noun

A dry rattling sound heard during breathing, due to deposits in the bronchial tubes.

OriginLatin rhonchus ← Ancient Greek ῥόγχος →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounrhonchus (plural rhonchi)

plural rhonchi

  1. medicineA dry rattling sound heard during breathing, due to deposits in the bronchial tubes.

    “You have poisoned yourself again!” Humfried emitted an alarming rhonchus.

    2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, page 699

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekῥόγχος
  2. Latinrhonchus“snoring”
  3. Englishrhonchus

Borrowed from Latin rhonchus (“snoring”), from Ancient Greek ῥόγχος (rhónkhos) (Caelius Aurelianus), of imitative origin.

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian хрип
  • хрип (hrip)sound
Finnish rohina, rahina
  • rohinasound
  • rahinasound
  • korinasound
Polish rzężenie, rzężenia
  • rzężeniesound
  • rzężeniasound
Cite this entry
APA

rhonchus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhonchus

MLA

“rhonchus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhonchus. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rhonchus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhonchus.

Source: rhonchus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.