OSTIA Meaning and
Definition
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Ostia is a noun that has multiple definitions. In its most common usage, Ostia refers to the ancient port city of Rome, located at the mouth of the Tiber River on the Tyrrhenian Sea. As Rome's main port, Ostia served as a vital hub for trade and commerce during the Roman Republic and Empire.
Another definition of Ostia refers to the anatomical term - the plural of ostium. An ostium is a small opening or orifice, particularly referring to the body's natural passages or cavities. For example, the ostia of the heart are the openings through which blood flows into the right and left ventricles. In a similar vein, the ostia of the maxillary sinuses are small openings in the nasal cavity that allow for the drainage of mucus.
Furthermore, in Christianity, the Eucharistic bread or wafer used in the sacrament of Holy Communion is sometimes referred to as ostia. These thin, unleavened wafers made from wheat flour are consecrated during Mass and believed to become the body of Christ.
In a more general sense, the term ostia can also be used to refer to any kind of entrance or opening. This definition can be applied to architectural contexts, such as the ostia of ancient Roman buildings, which were the main entrances or doorways leading into a structure.
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A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for OSTIA
Etymology of OSTIA
The word "Ostia" has Latin origins. It derives from the Latin word "ostium", which means "mouth" or "entrance". "Ostium" itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₃est-", meaning "to eat" or "to consume". In ancient Rome, "Ostia" referred to the harbor city of Ostia Antica, located at the mouth of the Tiber River, which served as the main port and commercial center for Rome.
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