Nasopharynx

The area of the upper throat that lies behind the nose. In contrast to the oropharynx, the area of the throat that lies behind the mouth.

The word “nasopharynx” is a hybrid — part Latin, part Greek. “Naso-” is a prefix that has to do with the nose. It comes from the Latin “nasus” for the nose (or snout). “Pharynx” is the Greek word for throat. The Greco-Roman term “nasopharynx” was coined in 1877.