| glottis |
| Definition - The opening at the upper part of the trachea, or windpipe, that is between the vocal cords. Its dilatation and contraction modulates the voice. |
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Example -  The entrance to the larynx (viewed from behind) showing the glottis. |
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Etymology - The word derives from the Greek glottis, mouth of the windpipe (from glotta, the Attic dialect variant of glossa, tongue). |
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Oxford English Dictionary - Its first citation is from 1578: "Glottis is a long rift placed in the middest of Larinx." (Banister Hist. Man iv. 50) |
