Ostia
[ os-tee-uh; Italian aw-styah ]
/ ˈɒs ti ə; Italian ˈɔ styɑ /
noun
a town in central Italy, SW of Rome: ruins from 4th century b.c.; site of ancient port of Rome.
Definition for ostia (2 of 2)
ostium
[ os-tee-uh m ]
/ ˈɒs ti əm /
noun, plural os·ti·a [os-tee-uh] /ˈɒs ti ə/.
Anatomy, Zoology.
a small opening or orifice, as at the end of the oviduct.
Zoology.
one of the tiny holes in the body of a sponge.
Origin of ostium
First recorded in 1655–65,
ostium is from the Latin word
ōstium entrance, river mouth
Example sentences from the Web for ostia
British Dictionary definitions for ostia (1 of 2)
Ostia
/ (ˈɒstɪə) /
noun
an ancient town in W central Italy, originally at the mouth of the Tiber but now about 6 km (4 miles) inland: served as the port of ancient Rome; harbours built by Claudius and Trajan; ruins excavated since 1854
British Dictionary definitions for ostia (2 of 2)
ostium
/ (ˈɒstɪəm) /
noun plural -tia (-tɪə) biology
any of the pores in sponges through which water enters the body
any of the openings in the heart of an arthropod through which blood enters
any similar opening
Word Origin for ostium
C17: from Latin: door, entrance
Medical definitions for ostia
ostium
[ ŏs′tē-əm ]
n. pl. os•ti•a (-tē-ə)
A small opening or orifice, as in a body organ.