EP'IGLOT EPIGLOT'TIS, noun [Gr. the tongue.] In anatomy, one of the cartilages of the larynx, whose use is to cover the glottis, when food or drink is passing into the stomach, to prevent it from entering the larynx and obstructing the breath.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI