Definition

1. Noun:
   • A prominent projection of the thyroid cartilage in the throat: This is the most common meaning, referring to the visible lump in the front of a person's neck, especially noticeable in adult males. It is part of the larynx (voice box) and moves when swallowing.
   • A type of tropical shrub (scientific name: Tabernaemontana divaricata): This is a less common meaning, referring to a plant with glossy leaves and fragrant, waxy white flowers, also known as "crape jasmine" or "pinwheel flower."

Usage Examples

• Noun (Anatomy):

  • His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.
  • The singer placed her fingers lightly on her adam's apple to feel the vibration.

• Noun (Botany):

  • The garden was filled with the sweet scent of the adam's apple shrub.
  • We saw an adam's apple with beautiful pinwheel-shaped flowers.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: The term can be used metaphorically to indicate a visible sign of anxiety or emotion, as it is often associated with the physical act of swallowing hard.
  • A tell-tale bob of his adam's apple gave away his lie.

Variants and Related Words

• Laryngeal prominence: The formal anatomical term for the "adam's apple."
• Crape jasmine / Pinwheel flower: Common names for the plant.
• Thyroid cartilage: The specific cartilage that forms the adam's apple.

Synonyms

• Laryngeal prominence (for the anatomical feature).
• Crape jasmine, Pinwheel flower (for the plant).

Notes on Meaning

The two meanings are entirely distinct and belong to different domains (anatomy vs. botany). The anatomical term is far more common in everyday English. The name's origin for the throat projection is folk etymology, derived from the story of the forbidden fruit sticking in Adam's throat.

Noun

1. the largest cartilage of the larynx
2. tropical shrub having glossy foliage and fragrant nocturnal flowers with crimped or wavy corollas; northern India to Thailand