# uvula

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈjuː.vjʊl.ə/ · frequency rank #97,676

## Definitions
1. Ellipsis of palatine uvula, the fleshy appendage that hangs from the back of the soft palate, that closes the nasopharynx during swallowing.
2. the slight elevation in the mucous membrane immediately behind the internal urethral orifice of the urinary bladder, caused by the middle lobe of the prostate
3. an object so suspended inside a bell that it may hit the bell and cause it to ring; a clapper

## Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin ūvula, diminutive of ūva (“grape”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/uvula