costa

costa — noun

1. in anatomy, one of the curved chest bones that enclose the heart and lungs in hu

1.名詞C2
釋義

in anatomy, one of the curved chest bones that enclose the heart and lungs in humans and other vertebrates; in botany and zoology, any firm narrow supporting part similar to a rib — for instance, the main vein running lengthwise through a leaf blade, or the thickened forward edge on the wing of an insect

例句

Dr. Walid saw a crack in the patient's costa on the chest X-ray.

domain: medical / X-ray imaging

In a rose leaf, the costa runs from the stem to the tip.

collocation: costa of a leaf

同義詞
  • rib

    everyday word for the same bone; 'costa' is the formal medical/anatomical term

  • midrib

    the central vein of a leaf; 'costa' is the scientific name for this structure

  • vein

    general term for any tubular structure in a leaf or insect wing; 'costa' is a specific vein along the front edge of an insect wing

文法句型

the + costa + of + [body part / plant / insect]

用法筆記

This is a formal scientific term used mainly in anatomy, botany, and zoology. In everyday conversation, English speakers use the word 'rib' instead. The Latin plural form 'costae' (pronounced /ˈkɒstiː/) is often used in medical writing.

常見錯誤

❌I think I broke my costa.
✅I think I broke my rib.
💡'Costa' is a technical term; use 'rib' in ordinary speech.
❌The leaf has many costae.
✅The leaf has one main costa (midrib) and many smaller veins.
💡'Costa' refers only to the central vein or midrib, not to all the veins.